DAR ES SALAAM, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A nine-year-old pupil on Friday wore a broad smile after she was declared the overall winner of the fifth "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Show for Primary School Students and the second Chinese Show for Primary School Students in Tanzania.
Mariam Mussa, a pupil in Dar es Salaam, triumphed over 14 fellow contestants from seven primary schools across the port city at the colorful event organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam.
As the top performer, Mariam will travel to China in July to compete in the global finals of the competition.
The young contestants showcased their Chinese language talents in storytelling, speech giving, classical poetry recitation, and singing, impressively using gestures and emotional expression to convey their messages.
"I am excited to be declared the overall winner. I am looking forward to traveling to China for the finals," said Mariam after receiving her awards from Xu Yongliang, a representative from the Chinese embassy in Tanzania.
Flora Magige, acting deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Dar es Salaam, said the competition was aimed at building self-confidence among students.
"These seeds being planted in these young students will blossom and bear great fruits in building a lasting bridge of friendship between China and Tanzania, now and in the future," said Zhang Xiaozhen, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam.
Wilson Mahera Charles, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, highlighted the significance of Chinese language education for Tanzanian youth and expressed hope for deeper educational cooperation between the two countries.
He made the remarks during the 18th "Chinese Bridge" Competition for Secondary School Students in Tanzania, held last week at Dodoma Secondary School in the capital, where 16 contestants from across the country demonstrated outstanding Chinese language skills and a deep appreciation for Chinese culture. ■