C
The 14th Chinese Language Competition attracted about 1,100 children from kindergarten kids to high school students. The children from different languages and cultural backgrounds met in San Francisco and competed in events like Chinese Calligraphy（书法）, drawing and Chinese poetry recital（背诵）.
Thomson, an 11th-grade boy from Justin-Siena High School in Napa city of California, has studied Chinese language for three years. It was hard for him to learn Chinese at the beginning, because it was one of the most difficult languages in the world. However, the writing of Chinese characters is a form of art, which made him feel different. "It's amazing to see how attractive Chinese culture is." he said.
Julie, a 12th-grade girl shared her similar experience of learning Chinese for four years. When recalling her trip in Beijing and Shanghai, she expressed huge interest in shared bikes. "The shared bike is known as one of the new 'Great Inventions' of China, along with China's Express Railway and Alipay online payment system. They amaze the whole world as part of China's rapid rise."
According to the hosting organization, the Confucius Institute at San Francisco State University, the competition was mainly for American and overseas Chinese kids. It aimed to set a platform to present （展示）their Chinese language and culture talents. It also helped to deepen the understanding of young Americans about the Chinese culture and history.
