by Tao Jun, Bui Long

HANOI, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Faith and trust will connect hearts of people from different countries for a better world, and the Chinese language and culture can help facilitate that connection, a Vietnamese student said.

"Studying foreign languages, including Chinese, and bolstering cultural exchanges will help speed up construction of a better world," Military Science Academy student Luu Thi Bich Hang told Xinhua on Saturday after topping the final round of Northern and Central Vietnam of the 18th "Chinese Bridge," an annual Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college students.

At the competition themed "One World, One Family," held by the Confucius Institute Headquarters and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, the sophomore student of the Hanoi-based academy's Chinese Department outperformed 18 other finalists from 17 universities in terms of language skills, presentations about Chinese culture and development as well as about parenthood, traditional music performance, and knowledge of Chinese culture, society, economy and politics.

Hang said she studied English first, then started learning Chinese when she was a middle school student, and saw many youths study the language which can help them connect with more people from different cultures and secure good jobs.

"Improving my command of Chinese and enriching my knowledge in different fields relating to China will facilitate my career in the future," said the 20-year-old student in a white elegant tunic with dark blue flower patterns.

Hang said that after graduation she wants to become a highly qualified interpreter of Chinese, so that she can make contributions to the fine friendship between Vietnam and China.

"When I attend the final round of the global competition in July in China, I will try to show my improved Chinese speaking and presentation skills, and introduce Vietnamese culture in the talent show," said Hang, who well performed a clapper talk (a form of Chinese narrative singing accompanied by a pair of clappers) in the talent show of the competition in Hanoi on Saturday.

Hang said she likes using castanets, a musical instrument consisting of two small pieces of wood or bamboo tied together by strings and knocked against each other in the hand to make sound.

Hang's compatriots also attached great importance to studying Chinese and promoting cultural exchanges for a better connected world of peace and harmony.

Trinh Thi Khanh Ngoc, a 19-year-old student at the University of Languages & International Studies under the Vietnam National University in Hanoi, mentioned TikTok during her speech at the contest on Saturday.

TikTok is a popular Chinese video-sharing app. According to Ngoc, the app has helped connect people, especially youths who are passionate about music, movies and traveling.

"I have visited Yunnan (a southwestern Chinese province), home to many lovely ethnic minority groups. I want to tour Shanghai (in east China) to witness its dynamism. And a good command of Chinese helps me make friends with local people and get to know their culture deeply," Ngoc Anh, a freshwoman student at Hanoi University told Xinhua, adding that she planned to take part in the "Chinese Bridge" next year.

"To sharpen my Chinese listening and speaking skills as well as to widen my eyes about various spheres, including culture, society and economy, I have watched many Chinese TV shows, especially 'I am Speaker,'" Anh said.

Addressing the competition on Saturday, Pham Ngoc Thach, vice rector of Hanoi University, said "Chinese Bridge" is a good playing ground for learners of Chinese to improve their language skills and knowledge of other fields, contributing to the fine friendship and relations between Vietnam and China.

Peng Shituan, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, said that "Chinese Bridge," first held in 2002, has built cultural bridges to connect learners of Chinese in the world as well as their countries with China to jointly build up a world of peace. Enditem

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