Bridging Language and Culture

Students and pupils participate en masse at 2024 Chinese Bridge competitions

Following on from the success of last year’s Chinese Bridge competitions, 2024 saw even more participants affiliated with Cardiff Confucius Institute than ever before.

Chinese Bridge show for primary schools

This year there were a particularly high number of entries for the Chinese Bridge show for primary schools, with 91 pupils from seven schools registering for the event:

• Maes Y Coed Primary School, Pontypridd
• Stacey Primary School, Cardiff
• Sully Primary School, Sully
• Ysgol Garth Olwg, Pontypridd
• Ysgol Pencae, Cardiff
• Ysgol Aberconwy, Conwy
• Ysgol Capelulo, Dwygyfylchi

The pupils submitted 13 videos which included songs, poem recitations and even a Kung Fu performance, and three of the schools - Maes Y Coed Primary School, Sully Primary School and Ysgol Garth Olwg – made it as far as the final round.

Competition for university students and secondary schools

As well as the primary school show, two students from Cardiff University entered this year’s semifinals for the Chinese Bridge competition for university students: Yves Brown and Thomas Joshua Ronald Eddie. Three pupils affiliated with a Welsh Confucius Institute also entered the secondary school competition this year, including our very own Meghan Johnson from Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni.

Director of Cardiff Confucius Guoxiang Xia said of this year’s competitions:

“It was amazing to find so many pupils love the Chinese Show. The tutors and the pupils worked so hard and filmed wonderful Chinese learning videos. I do appreciate their hard work. In addition, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the mentors and the schools that support this competition.”

Chinese Bridge is an international competition in which school pupils and university students can demonstrate their knowledge of Chinese language and culture. The competition is organised by the Centre for Language Education & Cooperation (CLEC) UK and is supported by the British Council.