On September 26th the 2025 Chinese Bridge Mandarin Competition award presentation was held in London, celebrating the teaching of Chinese in British schools.
This year’s competition attracted 370 pupils from 40 primary schools and 249 students from 59 secondary schools across the country. Contestants showed their Mandarin skills and cultural understanding through speeches, performances, and talent displays, embodying the idea of language as a bridge connecting the world. The ceremony also featured a sharing session given by outstanding UK winners from the university-level competition.
Zhou Wei, Minister Counsellor for Education at the Chinese Embassy in the UK, and Ralph Rogers, Regional Head China at the British Council, attended the event, delivered remarks, and presented awards to the winners.
The ceremony opened with captivating cultural performances, including the erhu, Yi ethnic dance, and martial arts. Awards were then presented to students across different age and proficiency categories.
During the speech, Zhou Wei highlighted that increasing numbers of young Britons are engaging with China through the Chinese Bridge competition, which enhances cross-cultural communication and cooperation. She expressed hope that Sino-British educational collaboration will continue to deepen, enabling more children to benefit from Mandarin learning.
Olivia Karnezis from Wimbledon High School took first prize in the Secondary Beginner Individual category. She recalled her journey with Mandarin: two years ago, she only knew how to say “ni hao” (hello). A year ago, she began learning colloquial phrases on Rednote. In April this year, she travelled to China for the first time, haggling in Mandarin on the streets of Beijing and even complimenting a girl in hanfu with “ni hao piaoliang” (you are very beautiful). She said, “Returning to China is one of my dearest dreams.”
The event was co-hosted by Simon Griffiths, champion of the 2025 UK University Chinese Bridge competition. He humorously recounted a tonal mishap: “Once I tried to ask a friend about his mum, but mispronounced it as ‘horse.’ Everyone laughed, but mistakes like this don’t discourage me. They’re part of the learning journey.”
UK Ambassador for Chinese Culture and Tourism Amie Arnold (An Qiyue) added: “The effort you put into learning Chinese is truly worth it. It brings life-long memories and opens the door to study, work, and unique experiences in China.”
Teachers and headteachers also shared the achievements of Mandarin education at their schools. Huw May, Headteacher of Kensington Wade School, the UK’s only bilingual English-Chinese primary school, proudly noted that two-thirds of his pupils are from non-Chinese backgrounds, but within two years they can speak Mandarin fluently, and all students sit the GCSE Mandarin exam.
Kam Sangha, Deputy Headteacher of King Edward VI High School for Girls, remarked: “In just four years, we welcomed our first group of GCSE Mandarin graduates, all achieving top grades of 9. Encouragingly, more and more students are choosing Mandarin.”
Tony Creighton, Deputy Headteacher of St. Ninian’s High School, added that beyond the classroom, the school runs lunchtime Mandarin clubs, Chinese cultural workshops, calligraphy classes, and annual Chinese New Year celebrations.
Ralph Rogers emphasized that Mandarin has become one of the most popular languages among UK students. “Through learning Mandarin, young learners are building bridges of communication that promote mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and the UK,” he said.
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