Recently, in the final of the 4th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Primary School Students held in Tianjin, Sofija Jovic from the Confucius Institute at University of Novi Sad, Serbia, which is co-founded by Zhejiang A&F University, was only 9 years old but wrote a wonderful story of her own with her strength. She is only 9 years old, but she has written a wonderful story of her own with her strength.

Just a year ago, Sophie's older sister, 17-year-old Emilia Jovic, also won the first prize in the 16th "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary Students. The two sisters are learning, growing and dreaming together at the Confucius Institute at University of Novi Sad, under the careful guidance of teachers selected by Zhejiang A&F University.

(Sister Dreams of “Chinese Bridge)

“Chinese Bridge” is a globally recognized Chinese language competition that aims to build a platform for Chinese language enthusiasts from all over the world to showcase their talents and exchange cultures. Since its inception in 2002, the event has attracted tens of thousands of contestants from five continents and more than a hundred countries to participate, allowing contestants to demonstrate their Chinese language skills and understanding of Chinese culture through language expression, cultural knowledge and talent performance.

On this international stage, Emily and Sophie from the Confucius Institute at University of Novi Sad impressed the judges with their fluency in Chinese, innovative talent and love of Chinese culture, and became the focus of the whole audience.

Emily chose the traditional art form of allegro and showed the judges and audience her excellent sense of language rhythm and stage presence. Ms. Chen Hui from Zhejiang A&F University developed a series of personalized training plans for Emily and practiced with her every day to help her break through the language and performance barriers. When Emily stood on the podium and heard the host announce that she had won the first prize, she was so excited that she burst into tears: “At that moment, I felt that all my efforts had not been in vain. It was a major turning point in my life.”

(Emily's transformation: confidence and emotion in the allegro)

After winning the award, Emily became the “star” of the school, taking part in various cultural exchange activities, and has become a messenger of cultural exchange between Serbia and China. She not only inspired more students to join the ranks of Chinese language learning, but also expressed her hope to study in China in the future, a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.

Sister is passionate about Chinese dance

Sophie is a more active girl than her sister, and her love of dance has shown her unique talent in Chinese language learning. In this year's Chinese Bridge competition for elementary school students, Sophie chose Chinese dance as her talent showcase.

Kong Yujie, a public teacher selected by Zhejiang A&F University to be in charge of Sophie's tutoring, customized a set of interactive teaching programs for Sophie. From basic speech practice to complex competition speeches, she combined language learning with her love of dance. During the pre-competition tutoring, Ms. Kong not only helped Sophie master authentic Chinese expressions, but also worked with her to fine-tune her dance moves to ensure that she was able to perfectly demonstrate the elegance of Chinese culture.

(Sophie's Growth: Interpreting Chinese Rhythm with Dance)

On the day of the competition, Sophie won the applause of the audience with a beautiful Chinese dance. Her performance not only showed her talent, but also highlighted her love for the Chinese language and culture. “I love dancing, especially Chinese dance, I think it is very beautiful. I hope that through my performance, more people will feel the charm of Chinese culture.” Sophie said proudly.

Confucius Institute at University of Novi Sad: a testimony of Sino-Serbian friendship

The success of the sisters not only shows their individual efforts and talents, but also highlights the important role of the Confucius Institute as a bridge of friendship between China and Serbia. Under the joint efforts of Zhejiang A&F University and Novi Sad University, the Confucius Institute has become a link between the two countries' cultural exchanges. In recent years, through the efforts of the Confucius Institute at Novi Sad University, more and more Serbian students have come to understand and love Chinese language and culture. This not only deepens the people-to-people communication between China and Serbia, but also lays a solid foundation for future cooperation between the two sides in various fields such as education, culture and economy.

The Confucius Institute at University of Novi Sad will continue to provide quality educational resources and cultural support to Serbian students, with the support of Zhejiang A&F University. The story of Emily and Sophie's growth has inspired countless young people chasing their dreams. More and more dreams will blossom and bear fruit on the road of Chinese language in the fertile soil of Sino-Serbian friendship.

In the future, may more young people connect the cultures of the two countries through the bridge of Chinese language and write their own brilliant chapters.

(Kong Yujie, Confucius Institute, Novi Sad University)