Recently, the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese competition has been held in many countries. Contestants with different languages and cultures speak Chinese, show off their talents, and confidently express their love for Chinese and Chinese culture.
In the UAE, 171 schools have opened Chinese courses, with 71,000 students learning Chinese, and Chinese teaching is in full swing. In Vietnam, the Chinese departments of various universities and Chinese training institutions are recruiting students at a fast pace. In the United States, some entrepreneurs have arranged for their children to learn Chinese. Hungary, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France and other countries have successively included Chinese as a subject in their national college entrance examinations. As of May 2023, more than 180 countries and regions around the world have launched Chinese education, and 81 countries have incorporated Chinese into their national education systems... From Chinese songs becoming popular on major social media platforms around the world, to foreign people checking in to celebrate the United Nations Chinese Language Day , from the frequent appearance of Chinese books at international book fairs to the skyrocketing traffic of short videos of foreign teenagers competing in Chinese... learning Chinese and learning about China has become a cultural trend.
Chinese is becoming more and more popular, vividly reflecting the huge appeal of China's opportunities. China's economic aggregate ranks second in the world and has become a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions around the world. The "economic and trade boom" boosts the "Chinese language boom", reflecting the world's eagerness to connect with the Chinese market and expand cooperation opportunities. Gergei Saurat, a researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, said, "China is a trustworthy partner and provides more and more opportunities. We should not miss the opportunity to participate in and benefit from China's opening up and development." We look forward to more students “choosing Chinese as their major.” Nicolas Edier, the French General Instructor of Chinese Language, firmly believes that learning Chinese is not only learning a language, but also a way to understand today’s world.
Fluent Chinese has opened up a new career track for many Chinese enthusiasts. According to the Russian "Kommersant" report, the demand for professionals who understand Chinese is rising in the Russian market, and the salary of those who can speak Chinese at a conversational or fluent level is about 20% higher. The ambassadors and high commissioners of the United Kingdom, France, Japan and India to Singapore recently said in interviews with Lianhe Zaobao that learning Chinese can help them advance their work better. According to Jinali Wijekong, a finalist of the "Chinese Bridge" Sri Lanka competition and a student at Sabalagamuwa University, learning Chinese provides more options for personal development.
The cooperation between China and the world has created a lot of opportunities and created a huge gap in Chinese talent. More people are signing up to learn Chinese and look for life opportunities. As of October 2023, Chinese institutions have run 313 Confucius Institutes and 315 Confucius Classrooms in 132 “Belt and Road” countries; the “Chinese Bridge” summer camp project has invited nearly 50,000 young people from more than 100 countries Visiting China to support 100,000 Chinese language enthusiasts from 143 co-founding countries to learn Chinese and experience Chinese culture online.
"Chinese craze" continues to heat up around the world, highlighting the unique charm of Chinese culture. Language is the carrier of culture. Through words, foreign Chinese learners can appreciate the colorful, extensive and profound Chinese culture. Out of their yearning and love for Chinese culture, many foreign teenagers choose to learn Chinese. In the "Chinese Bridge" competition, Chinese costumes, calligraphy, drama, songs, and martial arts are highly favored. Chinese film and television works have gained countless fans overseas, and many fans are learning Chinese in order to understand the TV series, Chinese culture and people's lives.
There is also a resonance of ideas behind the “Chinese craze”. Chinese culture is open, inclusive, and inclusive. It embodies the Chinese people’s outlook on the universe, the world, society, and morality. Concepts such as the unity of nature and man, seeking common ground while reserving differences, being kind to neighbors, and not doing to others what you do not want others to do to you have moved many people around the world. People of all countries. Joseph Leber, the first place winner in the college student category of the "Chinese Bridge" Swiss competition, quoted "three people must have a teacher", "an open sea" and "seeking common ground while reserving differences" to explain his understanding of "the world is one family". "Today's world is facing various challenges. I use these Chinese idioms to illustrate how people can build bridges between different cultures when they face differences.”
Recently, many foreign bloggers have traveled to various parts of China and were shocked by China's beautiful scenery, food and culture.They posted their experiences on social platforms, and many foreign netizens liked and forwarded them, expressing their envy and longing for China. A French netizen who claimed to have "coveted" Sichuan delicacies for a long time commented on the post, "I want to learn Chinese for this taste"... In the Internet age, cultural communication spreads far and wide, and good things are shared around the world. I believe that as the appeal and influence of Chinese culture increase day by day, the overseas popularity of Chinese language and culture will also continue to increase and continue to attract fans.
text/Xinhua News Agency reporter Dong Yue
picture source/Visual China
editor/Ji Yuan
