24th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Irish College Students Successfully Held

The Final of the 24th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Irish College Students was held at the UCD Confucius Institute on April 13, 2025. Hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Ireland (Education Section) and co-organized by the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland and Irish Institute for Chinese Studies, the event attracted distinguished guests including Chinese Ambassador to Ireland H.E. ZHAO Xiyuan, Vice President for Global Engagement at UCD Prof. Dolores O'Riordan, Head of Education Affairs of the Chinese Embassy to Ireland Dr. ZHU Xikun, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Ireland Galway Dr. LI Ren, Director of the UCD Confucius Institute Ms. WANG Yanling, Chinese Director of the UCD Confucius Institute Prof. XIE Jiangnan, and representative of Hainan Airlines’ Dublin Office Ms. WU Yao, and many other audience members.

This year's competition featured 14 contestants from universities across Ireland. After the preliminary round in the morning, eight contestants advanced to the final round where they delivered speeches in Chinese on the theme of "One World, One Family" and answered questions from the judges. The contestants elaborated their understanding and vision of world peace and cultural exchange from various perspectives. Some connected traditional Chinese culture to the idea of “harmonious diversity,” while others shared personal stories that reflected their deep affection for Chinese culture. Some took a global view, discussing cultural identity and mutual understanding from an international perspective.

In the following talent show session, there was a dazzling array of performances including traditional Chinese dance, poetry recitation, xiangsheng (traditional Chinese comedic dialogue), and Chinese songs, vividly demonstrating their passion for and understanding of Chinese language and culture.

While awaiting the results of the competition, the host engaged the audience in a lively cultural quiz on Chinese history, festivals, and traditions, further enhancing the audience’s knowledge and appreciation of Chinese culture. Following that, Ms. WU Yao from Hainan Airlines held an exciting lucky draw with the audience, and contestant Liam won a round-trip ticket from Dublin to Beijing.

After a day of intense competition, Hernan Perez Mckay from University College Dublin won first prize. Laurenz Weber from University College Cork and Uliana Vasiliuk from the University of Ireland Galway shared second prize. Liam Downes from University College Dublin, Maeve Barry from University College Cork, and Sean Caldwell from University College Dublin received third prize. Seamus Duggan from University College Dublin and Alba Aguilar from Technological University Dublin won the Most Promising Awards. At the end of the event, the attending guests presented awards to the winning contestants.

During her speech, Professor Dolores O’Riordan, Vice President for Global Engagement at UCD, warmly congratulated the winners and emphasized that the Chinese language not only serves as a vital communication bridge between China and Ireland but also plays a crucial role in cultural exchange.

H.E. ZHAO Xiyuan expressed his heartfelt pride and admiration for the contestants’ outstanding performances. He stated that the competition not only showcased the students’ talent but also reflected the strong friendship and cultural harmony between the peoples of China and Ireland, further promoting mutual understanding and exchange between the two countries.