International Chinese learners take the stage at Tianyige Museum

The 2026 Chinese Language Talent Show was held at the Tianyige Museum on Friday, bringing together more than 30 Chinese-language enthusiasts from countries including Denmark, Yemen, Ireland, India and Sri Lanka, along with nearly 100 local residents and visitors.

(Photos provided to People's Daily)

Organized by the Tianyige Museum and hosted by the International Communication Center of the Ningbo Daily Group, the event combined a festive cultural fair with a lively Chinese-language get-together, creating opportunities for international participants and Chinese visitors to interact through language, games and traditional culture.

The event featured a cultural fair, where foreign participants became game hosts in a series of interactive Chinese games. Visitors could collect stamps by completing challenges such as shuttlecock kicking, rock-paper-scissors and ring toss.

Among the participants was 14-year-old Rom, an international student at the Ningbo British International School and the youngest contestant of the day. At the shuttlecock-kicking station, Rom explained the rules to visitors in fluent Chinese, while visitors shared their own shuttlecock skills with him. A simple game quickly turned into a friendly exchange between young people from different cultural backgrounds.

Danish participant Jakob also impressed visitors with his fluent Chinese. Although he has been living in Ningbo for only three months, he had first visited China in 2008 and has since developed a strong connection with the country. During the event, he joined visitors in a "heart-to-heart" game and even exchanged phrases in different Chinese dialects.

The cultural fair also featured handicrafts, flower arranging, calligraphy and Chinese-character activities, giving visitors an immersive experience of traditional Chinese culture.

The main showcase began at 2:30 pm. A multinational group called Rivo, consisting of four young people from Bangladesh, Grenada and Iraq, opened the program with a performance of the popular Chinese song "Blue and White Porcelain" while dressed in traditional Chinese-style attire.

Ten finalists then took the stage to demonstrate their Chinese-language skills. They had come to China at different stages of their lives. Some have lived in the country for more than 20 years, while others arrived only three or four years ago. After two preliminary events, they advanced to the final showcase.

The event went beyond conventional language tests. Contestants first answered questions about China, including the country's longest river the Yangtze and the founder of the Tianyige Museum. Many achieved full marks in this round.

They then competed in a series of entertaining challenges, including Chinese character games, a Chinese-language telephone game and a mini debate. Their performances drew laughter, applause and cheers from the audience, demonstrating not only their command of Chinese but also their enthusiasm for Chinese culture.

Now in its ninth year at the Tianyige Museum, the Chinese Language Talent Show has become a signature program for international cultural exchange in the city. According to Zheng Weiwei, deputy director of the Tianyige Museum, the event aims to help more foreigners living in Ningbo gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and experience a real, friendly and vibrant China.

"Ningbo is a city where cultural heritage meets smart and modern living," Zheng said. "We hope foreign friends can develop a stronger sense of belonging and fulfillment here, and discover their own favorite ways of experiencing life in Ningbo."

(Source: Ningbo Evening News)