Kenya has recorded its best-ever performance in a global Chinese language competition.

A University of Nairobi student made it to the world’s Top 15 at the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for College Students.

Miriam Achieng Kenyatta, a Geospatial Engineering student at the University of Nairobi, was among 157 contestants who took part in the global final, which concluded in Xiamen, China, on August 23.

Miriam, a Chinese language learner at the university’s Confucius Institute, studies in the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology, Faculty of Engineering.

Her Top 15 finish is the best-ever performance by a Kenyan contestant in the “Chinese Bridge” competition.

Her feat marked another breakthrough after Naomi Thuo finished among the global Top 30 last year.

The achievement came as more than 50,000 university students from over 140 countries participated in this year’s competition after preliminary rounds began in February.

The global final brought together continental champions from five continents under the theme “The World as One Family”.

The contestants competed in five rounds that tested their Chinese language proficiency and all-round abilities, including quizzes, stand-up comedy, singing and dancing and debates.

Twenty-five former contestants from previous editions also returned to the stage, creating an interaction between current competitors and alumni of the competition.

After the intense competition, Li Wei from Germany emerged as the overall champion.

He was awarded the titles of “Chinese Language Ambassador” and “Chinese Language Star” and received the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship to pursue a degree programme in China.

Li, who has studied Chinese for five years, said the competition helped him overcome a difficult period in his language learning.

“I knew there were many areas I could improve, but I didn’t know how to continue learning,” he said.

He said the travel, experiences, learning and competitions offered through “Chinese Bridge” provided valuable feedback and helped him make a breakthrough at a crucial stage.

Li said he now hoped to study and pursue career opportunities in China.

The 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students concluded in Xiamen on August 23.

With it was an end weeks of language competition, cultural exchange and learning involving young people from across the globe.

The final stage of the competition was held in Beijing and Fujian province from August 5 to 23, bringing together 157 contestants and 131 observers from 139 countries.

Fujian’s Xiamen was one of the host cities, giving participants an opportunity to experience China beyond the competition stage.

During their stay in the coastal city, the contestants took part in an immersive programme covering technology, culture, education and history.

They visited Xiamen Meitu, where they witnessed developments in intelligent manufacturing, including flexible display production lines and artificial intelligence imaging technology.

The contestants also visited “Yujian Minnan”, where they wore traditional Chinese clothing, watched classic Chinese performances and participated in activities linked to intangible cultural heritage.

The experience introduced them to the cultural traditions of Minnan, a region centred on southern Fujian and with longstanding links to overseas Chinese communities.

At Xiamen University, a century-old institution of higher learning, the contestants worked alongside students and faculty members to create artistic works depicting a vision of harmonious coexistence among different civilisations.

They later visited Gulangyu Island, one of Xiamen’s renowned attractions, where they toured the Bagua Tower, Gulangyu Organ Art Center, Piano Museum and International Architecture Exhibition.

The Xiamen programme gave the contestants an opportunity to combine their Chinese language studies with first-hand experiences of Chinese culture, technology and education.

For Kenya, Miriam’s performance has also highlighted the growing role of Chinese language education at the University of Nairobi’s Confucius Institute.

The institute said her Top 15 achievement reflected her strong Chinese language competence and outstanding all-round performance.

It said the result also provided evidence of the effectiveness of Chinese language education at the institute.

Moving forward, the institute said it would continue using initiatives such as the “Chinese Bridge” competition to promote cultural communication and talent development.

It said such programmes would help Kenyans engage with China, understand Chinese-style modernisation and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning between Kenya and China.

The “Chinese Bridge” is an international Chinese language competition organised by China’s Ministry of Education.

It was launched in 2002 and has three categories targeting university students, secondary school students and primary school students.

The competition combines overseas preliminary rounds with global finals in China.

The overseas preliminary rounds are mainly organised by the education and cultural sections of Chinese embassies and consulates, as well as Confucius Institutes.

Over the past 25 years, the competition has attracted more than 1.8 million participants from over 160 countries and regions.

It has developed into a platform through which young people can learn Chinese, understand China and interact with people from different cultural backgrounds.

The organisers said the competition provides young people around the world with opportunities to improve their language skills while promoting international understanding.