We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of our talented students who recently participated in the Chinese speech competition in Christchurch. Their passion, eloquence, and dedication have truly made us proud.

On Sunday 26th May, Confucius Institute at University of Canterbury hosted the 2024 NZ South Island Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition (汉语桥) for Foreign Secondary School Students. Ms Ying HE, Chinese Consul General in Christchurch, Mr Kevin WATSON, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts UC, and Mr Graham WISE, Director of International Development were special guests.

Brianna (Year 10), Ava (Year 10), Saffy (Year 10), Darcy (Year 12), Rebekah (Year 13) and Ms Ding, went to Christchurch together to represent Otago and compete in the South Island Chinese Speech Competition. At the event, our students each presented a 2-3 minute Chinese speech and a cultural performance. Rebekah and Darcy, as senior category students, had been challenged to answer a Chinese question from the judge; they both answered their challenge questions well. For a cultural performance, Brianna and Ava wrote Chinese Calligraphy, Saffy performed 'Chinese Fan Dance', Darcy played 'Jasmine flower' on the ukulele, and Rebekah performed 'Taichi Fan Dance'.

Rebekah Sime won 3rd place in the South Island Speech Competition in the senior category.

Darcy, Brianna, Saffy and Ava all won commendation awards. Our students showcased exceptional skills in oratory, captivating audiences with their powerful delivery, and engaging presence. Each participant poured their heart and soul into their speeches, demonstrating not only their mastery of the Chinese language but also their courage and confidence on stage.