From May 9th–11th, the Chinese Bridge 2025 Immersion Weekend, an event filled with language, culture, connection, and creativity, was taken place in the vibrant city of Rotterdam, organized by the Confucius Institute Maastricht (CIM), the weekend brought together college students from across the Netherlands for a three-day experience exploring the richness of Chinese language and traditions.
About Chinese Bridge
Chinese Bridge, known in Chinese as the “汉语桥 (Hànyǔ Qiáo),” is a prestigious international Chinese language competition. It provides an opportunity for the participants to not only showcase their Chinese language proficiency, but also their cultural understanding through public speaking and creative talent.
More than a contest, Chinese bridge is a platform for international dialogue, encouraging curiosity, respect and lifelong engagement. Click here to get to know more information on the Chinese bridge official website
Immersion Weekend: A New Urban Format
For the 24th Chinese Bridge Speech Contest for college school and the 18th Chinese Bridge Speech Contest for secondary school, this year’s edition marked a milestone for CIM – not only did we host both college and secondary school national finals, but we also introduced a new urban immersion format, reflecting our ongoing commitment to accessibility and innovation in Chinese language education.
With the opening of the Chinese Language Learning and Testing Center in Rotterdam in 2024, CIM is bringing its top language courses to bring Chinese language and culture to more communities across the Netherlands.
Unlike previous years, where the immersion weekend was typically held in quieter, nature-focused settings away from the city, this year’s edition embraced the vibrant energy of an urban environment. Being surrounded by the buzz of Rotterdam added a new and dynamic layer to the experience. As Rotterdam was the first city in the Netherlands to establish a Chinese community living in the Netherlands, it was the location for the students to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture and language in the Netherlands.
Programme highlights
Friday
The program kicked off on Friday afternoon with a visit to Ochama smart warehouse, where students toured an advanced automated warehouse and learned firsthand about cutting-edge logistics processes used in international e-commerce.
That evening, at Verhalenhuis Belvédère, a unique cultural house in Rotterdam, students shared their talents through singing, crafts, and poetry in a warm, encouraging and multilingual talent show.
Saturday.
A day of language in action. Students explored Rotterdam’s Chinatown, engaging directly with residents and putting their Chinese language skills into practice in real-life conversations. It was a memorable day of cultural exchange and connection.
Sunday
We welcomed a group of secondary school students joining our program for a dedicated day of cultural learning and competition. This day was both educational and inspiring with a visit to the World Museum Rotterdam, where students explored the “Made in China” exhibition.
The weekend concluded with the Dutch finals of the 24th ‘Chinese Bridge’ Chinese Proficiency Competition for College Students and the 18th ‘Chinese Bridge’ Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students , where students presented speeches under the theme “One World, One Family (天下一家)” and “Fly High with Chinese (追梦中文，不负韶华)”.
The Winners of the Chinese Bridge 2025
Before we announce the winners of this year, we want to thank all the participants and the beautiful fun memories we made with each other, whether that was during the whole weekend or on the last day. It was not only about the competition, but also about coming together and sharing the same interest and passion!
College Student Winners
🥇 1st Place – Brády Santiago Jeronimus
🥈 2nd Place – Elisabeth van Nieuwamerongen
🥉 3rd Place – Nica Zoe Bol
Secondary School Winners
🥇 1st Place – Donja Silvie Tielen
🥈 2nd Place – Elyza Wen-Xi Punselie
🥉 3rd Place – Ozan Arif Bozdag
Want to see more of the Chinese Bridge competition of this year? Take a look at our Instagram, we post all of the beautiful pictures and memories there.