On April 18, the Confucius Institute in Sofia held its seventh annual Chinese Song Competition and International Chinese Language Day celebration, drawing over 200 faculty, students, families, and community members. The event featured opening remarks by Ambassador Dai Qingli of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, alongside dignitaries including university administrators, municipal leaders, and cultural figures from across the region.
In his opening address, Ambassador Dai praised the Confucius Institute’s two decades of educational achievement and recognized the competition’s significance in fostering cultural exchange between China and Bulgaria. He encouraged Bulgarian youth to embrace Chinese as a bridge for deepening bilateral friendship and people-to-people ties.
Directors Aksiniya Koleva and Chen Ying expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy and partner institutions for their sustained support, emphasizing the competition’s role in showcasing teaching outcomes and inspiring broader engagement with Chinese language and culture.
The competition attracted 65 student contestants from Confucius classrooms and teaching sites across multiple cities, including Sofia, Burgas, Blagoevgrad, and Old Zagora. Participants performed Chinese songs, showcasing their linguistic proficiency and artistic development.
In the individual category, Katerina Hristova from South-West University Confucius Classroom won first place with a rendition of I Only Care About You. The ensemble category was won by Red Sorghum, a duet featuring Mariana Zagorska from Sofia University and Stefani Todorova from the High School Maxim Gorki Confucius Classroom, who performed The Day Breaks.
As part of the International Chinese Language Day celebration, the Institute held an open day preceding the competition. The event featured interactive workshops in calligraphy, board games, paper cutting, Peking Opera facial makeup design, peony-themed crafts, and Chinese knot tying, attracting nearly 100 local community members.
Sponsored by the Bulgaria-China Chamber of Commerce and covered by news outlets including Xinhua, the event demonstrated the depth of enthusiasm for Chinese language learning in Bulgaria. The competition and cultural programming marked another successful initiative by the Sofia Confucius Institute in advancing Chinese language education and deepening cultural understanding between Bulgaria and China.
