As the stage lights slowly brightened, a cross-border feast of voices officially kicked off. On the morning of December 4, 2025, the 24th Chinese Recitation and Speech Contest for International Students—hosted by the School of Chinese Language and Literature/International Cultural Exchange School of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)—was held at the Yifu Auditorium of SISU’s Hongkou Campus.
In this contest, 11 teams competed in the recitation category and 13 teams in the speech category. Ultimately, 2 teams won first prize, 4 second prize, and 5 third prize. The international students showcased the rhythmic beauty of Chinese with solid language skills, cleverly integrating cultural elements from their home countries into their works, and told their stories with China through sincere emotions. In the recitation segment, they vividly displayed the essence of diverse cultures via lively language and rich expressions.
Li Boyu, Huang Meili, Fan Mingzhou, Chen Yujinyan, and Cui Yirong from Class 3, Grade 1 performed The Lily on the Heartland. They vividly embodied the lily’s tenacious blooming posture, earning rounds of applause from the audience and winning first prize in the recitation contest. The Moon is Brightest at Home cleverly merged love for China with longing for hometown, allowing the audience to feel the profound sentiment of “when the moon shines the same across the world” while experiencing China’s beauty. The teams performing China Under the Moonlight and China in Ancient Poems combined ancient-style music and scene performances, vividly restoring the elegance and depth of traditional Chinese poetry.
In the speech contest, contestants delivered their carefully prepared speeches with deep emotion. Li Long used the five senses—“sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste”—to experience Shanghai, sharing his stories with the city and SISU. Freddy spoke affectionately about his Chinese learning journey, using “passing the ball” as a metaphor for his connection with China. Wu Yuyuanfang recounted how a wonderful trip helped her build a heartfelt bond with China. Students like Feng Chengcheng, Ishizuka Rika, and Yang Simin shared their study abroad journeys on stage. They told of the magical moments when they connected with China and Chinese—perhaps an unforgettable cross-cultural exchange, or the warm help of a Chinese friend. These moments were like seeds that took root in their hearts, making them resolute in their decision to study in China.
After fierce competition, Li Long from Class 4, Grade 4 won first prize in the speech contest; Freddy from Class 6, Grade 2 won second prize; and Feng Chengcheng from Class 3, Grade 3, Ishizuka Rika from Class 2, Grade 2, and Yang Simin from the Advanced Translation Class won third prize. Though the 24th International Student Recitation and Speech Contest has concluded, the sparks of cross-cultural collision still linger on campus. The true feelings and thoughts conveyed by the contestants through their voices have become a bright landscape in the campus cultural corridor, and sown seeds of understanding and tolerance in everyone’s heart. In the future, the school will continue to build more cross-cultural exchange platforms, enabling students from around the world to learn from each other and grow together through communication.
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
Nicknamed “SISU”, it is the first higher education institution of foreign languages established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a state-run full-time regular higher education institution, and a national key university directly under the Ministry of Education and co-built with Shanghai. Its administrative authority is the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and its registered address is 550 Dalian West Road, Shanghai. SISU is a signatory to the UN Memorandum of Understanding and a partner of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Interpretation. It is also a member of the International Federation of Translators Schools (CIUTI), offers all language pairs of the UN’s six official languages, and holds the highest global rating from the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC). Distinguished masters such as Jiang Chunfang, Li Linsi, Xia Zhongyi, Fang Zhong, and Xu Zhongnian have taught at SISU.
SISU traces its roots to the Shanghai Russian School attached to the East China People’s Revolutionary University, founded in December 1949. In 1950, it was renamed the Foreign Language Specialized School attached to the East China People’s Revolutionary University; in 1952, it became Shanghai Russian College; in 1956, it was renamed Shanghai Institute of Foreign Languages; in 1963, it was listed as a national key higher education institution; in 1994, it adopted its current name. In 1996, it was designated a key construction university under China’s “211 Project”; in 2017, it was selected as a “Double First-Class” construction university.
