In a remarkable display of linguistic talent, students from the Confucius Institute for Northern Ireland at Ulster University (CINIUU), UK, have achieved outstanding success at the 2024 Chinese Bridge Mandarin Speaking Competition for UK Schools. The competition, held in London on May 9, 2024, and organized by the Chinese Proficiency Test UK Committee and the Chinese Bridge Club in London, saw students from across the United Kingdom compete in the beginner's category.

Guided by the dedicated teachers dispatched from CINIUU, the students participated in the intense final round of the competition. Notably, the Banbridge Academy team, coached by teacher Zuo Rui, comprising students Drew Copeland, Jack Pollock, Tom Sneddon, Kristiyan Ivanor, and Julia Gomba, secured third place in the beginner's group category with their performance titled Luck of the Dragon Year.

CINIUU was represented in three categories in the finals. Ruairi Duddy from Lumen Christi College, under the guidance of teacher Yang Liuping, competed in the individual beginner's category. The group performance Luck of the Dragon Year, led by Zuo Rui, and another group performance The Dream of Chinese Characters, presented by students Lucy Henry, Lily Henry, Benjamin Phiri, Tom Harris, and Caleb Laverty from Ballynema Academy, coached by teacher Zhang Ankang, showcased the student's hard work and passion for learning Mandarin.

After a day of competitive performances, it was the Luck of the Dragon Year program that brought home the third-place victory for the Banbridge Academy team. The winning students expressed their gratitude for Zuo Rui's meticulous coaching and the high-quality Chinese language education provided by CINIUU. Inspired by their achievement, they pledged to continue excelling in their Mandarin studies.

The event was graced by the presence of Dr. Liu Xingchi, the Chinese Director of CINIUU, along with representatives from the institute's management team, who attended and observed the entire competition process.

The competition's organizing committee has announced plans to hold a grand award ceremony in September this year to honor the achievements of all participants.