On October 26th, the fourth “Chinese Bridge” World Primary School Chinese Show Finals took place in Tianjin, with British contestant You Zijun emerging as the global champion.
The finals featured 68 competitors from 59 countries who traveled to China to participate. During the “Magic Supermarket Challenge,” the stage transformed into a supermarket where contestants had to select the correct products based on prompts and give impromptu introductions. In the “Dynamic Shadows Challenge,” participants voiced over scenes from classic Chinese animated works, and in the “Dialogue with Sister Moon” segment, they shared insights from their experiences in five unique courses: sports, music, crafts, science, and recitation they had experienced at Chinese schools.
“I learned that the color red is the favorite of the Chinese people, symbolizing happiness, luck, and joy. What’s it like during the Chinese New Year? Every household hangs lanterns, puts up window decorations, pastes couplets, sets off firecrackers, and lights fireworks—it’s very lively!” You Zijun’s fluent and spontaneous speech in Chinese during the third segment earned him enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience.
After intense competition, You Zijun clinched the title of global champion and also secured the European champion title. Malaysian contestant Zeng Yuxuan won the Asian champion title, Cameroon’s Ming Lan took home the African champion title, American contestant Fang Pingshan was crowned the champion of the Americas, and New Zealand’s Sha Munuo became the Oceania champion.
“I started learning Chinese when I was two years old, and it has been ten years now. I really love Chinese culture and people. I have been to many places in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Kunming. I particularly enjoyed the Tianjin Ferris wheel,” You Zijun shared with reporters after the finals, expressing pride in his performance. “In the future, I hope to study in Beijing one day.”
