A Successful Final Round For the Confucius Institute In Sofia At the Chinese Bridge Chinese Language Competition 2024 In Bulgaria

On 11th May, 2024, the final round of the fourth edition of the Chinese Bridge Chinese Language World Competition For Primary School Students has been held at the "St. Cyril and St. Methodius" University of Veliko Tarnovo. Maksim Yovev, a fourth-grade student from the Aiga Chinese Language School, part of the Confucius Institute in Sofia family of schools, has been awarded the first prize. Miss Aleksa Zdravkova, a sixth-grade student from the same school, has been awarded the second prize. Moreover, Maksim is going to travel to China to represent Bulgaria in the global finals!

Before the competition for primary school students, in the final rounds of the 17th Chinese Bridge Chinese Language World Competition for Secondary School Students and the 23rd Chinese Bridge Chinese Language World Competition For University Students in Bulgaria, Wang Kunyang (Vasco Vascov) and Ling Wei (Silvana Slavcheva) from the Confucius Classroom at the 138th Secondary School in Sofia, which classroom is associated to the Confucius Institute in Sofia, have been awarded the second prize in the secondary school students category, as well as the prize for excellence in eloquence.Shan You (Stefani Todorova) from the Confucius Classroom at the Maxim Gorky Secondary School in Stara Zagora has been awarded the third prize in the secondary school category, together with the prize for outstanding talent. Dima (Dimka Lazarova), a third-year student from the Confucius Classroom at the University of Plovdiv, has been awarded the third prize and the prize for best talent in the university students’ category.
Over the years, the Chinese language teaching at the Confucius Institute in Sofia has achieved promising results and has cultivated a number of excellent Chinese language talents. Wang Kunyang (Vasco Vascov), who has been learning Chinese for nearly three years and had won the second place in the 16th Chinese Bridge Chinese Language World Competition for secondary school students, went to China to study for half a year. Shan You (Stefani Todorova) who has won the Audience Choice Award and the Best Chinese Music Video Visual Effect Award in Sing and Learn Chinese Music Video Contest in 2023. Her song has been included in the recording of the theme song for the 31st World University Summer Games in Chengdu. Dima (Dimka Lazarova) has won the 2023 China Ambassadorial Scholarship and the won the Outstanding Video Production Award in the Travel + Chinese video competition organised by the Chinese Language Alliance. She has been interviewed by the Bulgarian National Television. In the future, the Confucius Institute in Sofia will continue their efforts in Chinese language teaching and their contribution to the humanistic exchanges between China and Bulgaria.

Confucius Institute in Sofia
Text: Chen Chen
Photos: Wang Ying, Liu Min, Pan Xixi
Editors: Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva
English translation: Maya Kostadinova

Picture 1. The first prize winner in the primary school category – Maxim Yovev with his teacher.

Picture 2. The second prize winner in the primary school category, Alexa Zdravkova (the fourth one from the left) with her teacher.

Picture 3. Wang Kunyang (Vasco Vascov) - winner of the second prize in the secondary school category.

Picture 4. Shan You (Stefani Todorova) - winner of the third prize and the prize for outstanding talent in the secondary school student’s category.

Picture 5. Ling Wei (Silvana Slavcheva）- winner of the prize for excellence in eloquency in the secondary school students category.

Picture 6. Dima (Dimka Lazarova) - winner of the prize for best talent in the university students category with the directors of the Confucius Institute in Sofia.