The finals of the 24th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students are held in Pingtan county, Fujian province, in August 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Nearly 300 university students from more than 140 countries will gather in Fujian in August for the 25th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students and the affiliated summer camp, which will combine language contests with cultural experiences across the province, said Liu Jianqing, deputy director-general of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, at a news conference on July 24.

Liu said the competition, launched 25 years ago, has become one of the world's largest international Chinese-language events, attracting more than 1.8 million young people from over 160 countries and regions. It has been dubbed the "Olympics of Chinese language" and attracts more than 100 million viewers globally each year.

To mark its 25th anniversary, organizers have invited 25 former contestants to return for the finals. Some have become diplomats, sinologists or local Chinese-language teachers. The event will also feature a social media series marking the competition's 25th anniversary and video blogs by contestants, in which they will share personal stories of cross-cultural exchange.

During their stay in Fujian, participants will visit sites including Gulangyu Island and Nanjing Tulou, experience Zhangzhou glove puppet shows, and take part in six themed cultural routes focusing on history, technology, ecology, marine development, and youth exchanges.

The opening ceremony will be held at the Keqiutou Site Museum in Pingtan, where participants will explore Austronesian heritage and join activities such as shell carving and cultural performances. The finals will take place in Xiamen, where organizers have prepared visits to Xiamen University, Gulangyu Island, and high-tech companies.