Enthusiasts of Chinese culture excel in contest

HAVANA — Leidy Exposito, a student from Havana’s Confucius Institute, mounted the winners’ podium in the recent 2021 Chinese Talent Contest in Latin America and the Caribbean as the event organizer earlier unveiled the list of victors.

The 22-year-old enthusiast of Chinese culture was awarded the second prize in Chinese calligraphy, one of the three categories in the competition, which also included Chinese dance and traditional Chinese painting.

The contest, which was held online via video link, offered an excellent platform for foreign students to better understand the charm of the Chinese language, culture and history, Exposito says.

“To be honest, I started studying the new language to communicate with my Chinese boyfriend, who did not speak too much Spanish,” she says.

“But now I feel totally inspired to continue improving my skills as a Chinese-language learner.”

Co-sponsored by the Chinese International Education Foundation Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the ASA Panama Foundation, the contest aimed to spark the interest of youths in the Chinese language and culture, and promote friendship and communication between China and the region.

In total, 17 prizes were awarded by the jury during the contest, with four awarded to students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Havana.

One of them is Rosalia de la Caridad Grau, who won third place in the category of traditional Chinese dance after weeks of practice. The 19-year-old enrolled in the institute five years ago and is now studying telecommunications engineering at the Technological University of Havana Jose Antonio Echeverria.