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Grand Final of the 2026 “Qiantang Cup” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Global Youth Concludes Successfully
A Single Chinese Word Connects the World; Youthful Voices Gather in Qiantang
Grand Final of the 2026 “Qiantang Cup” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Global Youth Concludes Successfully
图片及内容版权归CECCI所有，如发现侵权或盗用行为将追究法律责任
All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.
5th June 2026
When the elegance of millennia-old Song Dynasty culture met the youthful expression of Generation Z, and when the beauty of the Chinese language sparked with the passion of diverse cultures, a global youth celebration unfolded by the Qiantang River. On the evening of 5 June, under the dazzling lights of the Opera Hall at The Golden Sands Lake Grand Theater, the Grand Final of the 2026 “Qiantang Cup” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Global Youth came to a successful close. After a six-month journey across borders, this feast of Chinese language and cultural exchange bore rich fruit on the land of Qiantang.
After six months of selection rounds, 14 outstanding contestants from 11 countries, including Russia, Greece and Uzbekistan, stood out from more than 200 young international participants from over 30 universities inside and outside Zhejiang. They not only demonstrated strong Chinese language skills, but also showed unique understandings of Chinese culture. On the Grand Final stage, contestants competed in three major rounds — “Tide Debates”, “Tidal Arts Showcase” and “My Tide, My Voice” — presenting a peak contest of intellect, talent and heartfelt conviction.
The Final Showdown: A Powerful Clash of Thinking and Talent
The Grand Final stage was destined to be a contest among the best. With impressive language skills and cultural understanding, the contestants presented an extraordinary youth showcase for the audience.
In the opening “Tide Debates” round, contestants engaged in lively debates on contemporary topics such as “Do AI learning tools help or hinder language learning?” and “Does Hangzhou’s appeal to young people around the world lie mainly in its quality of life or its development opportunities?” Through their exchanges, the contestants offered both rational reflections on Hangzhou’s wave of technological innovation and heartfelt interpretations of the city’s charm. The sharpness of their thinking intertwined with the rhythm of the Chinese language, drawing waves of applause from the audience. One judge commented, “They are not only masters of language, but also thinkers of culture.”
If debate tested intellectual strength, then the “Tidal Arts Showcase” was a display of artistic talent. The contestants skilfully blended traditional elements with modern artistic forms, bringing both classical charm and contemporary creativity to the stage. Some performed traditional dances in Chinese-style costumes, moving gracefully between ancient and modern worlds. The original song “Dreams” electrified the audience the moment it began. When the classic song “A Laugh from the Sea” rang out, the audience waved glow sticks in unison, filling the auditorium with a sea of starlight. Towards the end of the showcase, a creative stand-up comedy performance brought the entire stage into a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. Each programme offered a personal interpretation of “Chinese flavour”, demonstrating the deep integration and innovative expression of Chinese and foreign cultures among the younger generation.
More than a concentrated test of the contestants’ all-round abilities, this semi-final was also a vivid exercise in international cultural exchange. Through the competition platform, young people from around the world were able to understand China and express their perceptions of China in authentic contexts, while Chinese stories were told and shared in more
diverse and multidimensional ways.
In the final round, “My Tide, My Voice”, contestants shared sincere stories of their close bonds with China. One contestant, speaking under the title “China and I: A Two-way Journey Through Light and Shadow”, told the story of how her interest in Chinese dramas gradually grew into a deep affection for China and a determination to become a content creator connecting China and the world. Another contestant, from the perspective of global peace and development, reflected on the precious value of a stable environment for cultural exchange. Others shared their experiences of travelling to China to study performance, stepping onto the “Qiantang Cup” stage, and aspiring to serve as bridges of friendship between China and the world. These stories, like gentle streams, came together to form a diverse picture of how young people from around the world see China, allowing cultural resonance to transcend language and national boundaries.
After three intense rounds of competition, Myint Li Li, a contestant from Myanmar studying at Communication University of Zhejiang, won the championship. Diana Puzikova, a Greek contestant from Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Mykhailo Androsov, a Ukrainian contestant from China Jiliang University, won Second Prize.
The Qiantang Tide Rises: Presenting a Youthful Calling Card to the World
Beyond the competition itself, the infusion of Qiantang elements added a distinctive charm to this grand event. Children from Jiangwan Primary School and Guanlan Primary School lit up the stage with the technology-themed dance “Chasing the Light”, using light, shadow and rhythm to express the vitality of a “city of the future”. The Top 100 contestants of the “Qiantang Cup” joined hands with Chinese young people to perform the original poetic stage work “Watching the Sea Tide: Harmony Across the World”. Through traditional arts such as diancha, guqin, martial arts and calligraphy, the performance painted a vivid picture of civilisations appreciating their own beauty while sharing beauty with one another. One audience member remarked, “Here, we can touch the cultural pulse of the Qiantang River’s thousand-year tide, while also feeling the surging heartbeat of innovative expression among young people in the new era.”
This competition was not only a display and exchange of Chinese language proficiency, but also a cultural “golden calling card” presented to the world. Bryson Xue, representative of the organiser, the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation (CECCI), said that the competition aims to build a platform for mutual learning and exchange among young people from around the world, allowing more young people to use the Chinese language as a bridge to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary China’s development. From “understanding China” to “expressing China”, and from “approaching China” to “becoming part of China”, what the young participants gained was not only an improvement in language ability, but also a deeper understanding of openness, inclusiveness, dialogue and sharing.
As the Qiantang tide surges and flows into the sea, the China Europe Centre for Cultural Innovation will continue to embrace friends from across the world with a youthful spirit, allowing the waves of the Qiantang River and the voices of young people worldwide to resonate in harmony and compose a magnificent chapter of exchange among civilisations.
图片及内容版权归CECCI所有，如发现侵权或盗用行为将追究法律责任
All images and content are the property of CECCI. Any unauthorised use or infringement will result in legal action.