To ignite the enthusiasm of international students at Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) for "learning Chinese, using Chinese, and loving Chinese" and build a cultural exchange platform, the School of International Education of NPU held the final of the 2nd "Friendship Cup" Chinese Speech Contest for International Students on November 6.
Since its launch in October, this competition has drawn the attention of international students across the campus. After the preliminary video auditions, 19 contestants from 13 countries stood out and advanced to the final. The competition is divided into three groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Around the theme of "Setting Sail at NPU, Understanding China Through Practice", the contestants told their own "Chinese stories" in fluent Chinese.
The final scene was lively. Teacher representatives from the School of International Education Office, International Student Management Office, and Chinese Language Center, cheerleading teams, and audiences from various countries gathered to cheer for the contestants. The speech session was full of highlights: Lily, a Thai contestant in the beginner group, themed her speech "My Dreams" and connected her youthful growth story with three dreams; William, a Cameroonian contestant in the intermediate group, started his speech "Dreams Beyond Borders, Setting Sail at NPU" with an impassioned rendition of NPU's school anthem, showcasing the belief of NPU students in pursuing dreams in China; Chi Zhoujin, a Malaysian contestant in the advanced group, delivered the speech "Setting Sail at NPU, Understanding China Through Practice" with delicate and touching emotions, winning unanimous recognition from the judges with fluent expression and profound understanding. The three eventually won the championships of their respective groups.
The speeches of the other contestants in each group were equally wonderful. The content included the "confusion" when first arriving in China, as well as the insights from "moving forward all the way"; there were also affectionate confessions of NPU as the "second home", and cultural explorations of "seeking light" in the ancient capital Xi'an through the bridge of Chinese... The scene was filled with thunderous applause and cheers. The event also interspersed talent shows, Chinese cultural knowledge quizzes, and experience sessions.
Students such as Chen Ziyuan from Indonesia, the Thai duo Guan Tingting and Lily, and Vietnamese students Ming Miao, Xiao Ling, Yu Ying, and Yu Ye brought touching song performances, making the event full of highlights. In the Chinese cultural game "Passing the Flower to Drumbeats", students rushed to answer Chinese cultural puzzles while the drum beat, demonstrating their accumulated cultural knowledge. The "Calligraphy on Fan Painting" experience activity was very popular. Students copied their favorite ancient poems stroke by stroke on paper fans and exchanged and shared them with each other.
This competition eventually selected several first, second, and third prizes for each group, as well as Outstanding Instructor Awards. Zhang Weihong, a Chinese teacher from the School of International Education, commented as a representative of the judges. She praised the students' wonderful speeches and encouraged them to actively participate in various language and cultural activities to grow through communication. The competition concluded successfully with a group photo of teachers and students.
The "Friendship Cup" Chinese Speech Contest is not only a competition of language proficiency, but also a grand event of Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges. The School of International Education will continue to create more high-quality platforms for language practice and cultural experience, helping international students better integrate into campus life and deepen their understanding and recognition of Chinese culture.
Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU)
Abbreviated as "NPU", it is located in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, under the administration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and a university directly managed by the Central Government. It is a national key university featuring talent cultivation and scientific research in the fields of aviation, aerospace, and marine engineering (the "Three Aeronautics"). It is included in the national "Double First-Class" initiative, "Project 985", and "Project 211". It was listed as one of the national key construction universities by the State Council during the "Seventh Five-Year Plan" and "Eighth Five-Year Plan" periods. It is a member of the "Plan 2011", "Plan 111", "Excellent Engineer Education and Training Program", and "Excellence Union of Universities". It is also a founding university of the "Belt and Road" Aerospace Innovation Alliance, a national typical experience university for graduate employment, one of the first ten universities in China to lead the construction of the National Excellent Engineer College, and a university that has been awarded the "Major Contribution Award" twice in a row.
Northwestern Polytechnical University can be traced back to the National Northwest Institute of Technology founded in 1938. In 1946, the National Northwest Institute of Technology moved to Xianyang. In 1950, it was renamed Northwest Institute of Technology. In 1952, the aviation engineering departments of Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University, and Nanjing University were merged to form East China Aviation College in Nanjing. In 1956, it moved to Xi'an and was renamed Xi'an Aviation College. In October 1957, Northwest Institute of Technology and Xi'an Aviation College merged to form Northwestern Polytechnical University. In February 1970, the entire Aviation Engineering Department of Harbin Institute of Engineering (now Harbin Engineering University) was incorporated into NPU. In 2017, it was included in the list of "World-Class Universities" (Category A) construction universities.
