CANBERRA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Australian grand final of the 19th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition for foreign secondary school students was held in Canberra on Saturday, where 10 finalists gathered from five divisions nationally showcased their language skills and talent.
Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian and representatives of the Australian Capital Territory government attended the opening ceremony.
In his opening remarks, Xiao said that as important countries in the Asia-Pacific region, China and Australia's comprehensive strategic partnership has entered its second decade, and the future of bilateral relations largely depends on the understanding and friendship of the younger generation.
"Every contestant here today is a young ambassador of friendship between China and Australia. Your enthusiasm, talent, and cross-cultural understanding fill us with confidence for the future of our bilateral relations," he said.
In his address at the opening ceremony, Justin Garrick, principal of Canberra Grammar School, shared his experiences of learning Chinese and visiting China, and encouraged contestants to continue studying the language and promoting cross-cultural exchange.
The final consisted of three components: a written examination, a Chinese-language speech and a talent showcase.
During the speech segment, the 10 finalists spoke on the theme "Fly high with Chinese," sharing their experiences of learning Chinese and their aspirations for the future.
In the talent showcase, contestants, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, presented a variety of performances, including instrumental music, Chinese songs, Chinese poetry recitation and the making of dragon's beard candy, a traditional Chinese confection recognized as part of China's intangible cultural heritage. Their performances drew warm applause and cheers from the audience.
Based on contestants' overall performance across all three components, the judging panel awarded one first prize, three second prizes and six third prizes.
After the competition, Lucas Velasquez, a year 10 student from the Victoria regional division, won first prize and earned the right to represent Australia at the global finals in China.
Lucas has been studying Chinese for more than eight years. Thrilled by the result, he said that all contestants had performed exceptionally well, noting he felt deeply honored to receive the award.
The competition was jointly organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and the Chinese Embassy in Australia, and hosted by the Chinese Language Teachers' Association of ACT and the Australian School of Contemporary Chinese. The finalists were selected from five regional divisions covering the ACT, Northern Territory and Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, Queensland, and South Australia. ■