15th Chinese Bridge Cup Contest Held in San Francisco

More than 1,000 students from Northern California convened on March 9 for an annual contest on Chinese language and culture that aimed to build a bridge of understanding between the Chinese and American people.

The 15th Chinese Bridge Cup Contest, jointly hosted by the Confucius Institute at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), offered an opportunity for children from kindergarten to 12th graders to show off their talents in Chinese language and culture, including calligraphy, poem recital, and painting.

The two-day event, from March 9 through 10, attracted kids who exhibited strong interest in Chinese culture and heritage.

Xie Jiaxin, director of the Confucius Institute at SFSU, said this year the event has won greater support from the leaders of both the SFSU and SFUSD, and some of them even offered in person to help their students register for the contest or volunteer for the contest.

“A bridge of language and culture connects American students’ love for and interest in China’s language and culture, which will lay a solid linguistic foundation for their future careers,” Xie said.