Chinese language contest "Chinese Bridge" hits UK

The 9th "Chinese Bridge" Competition, a Chinese Language Contest for college students around the world is underway.

In UK, the preliminary round of the competition was held in London on Saturday. Young Britons displayed their fluent Chinese and diverse talent.

20 contestants from 12 universities in the UK took part in the preliminary round. The competition covers a wide range from Q and A's on China's culture, history and geography to delivering a speech in Chinese and a talent show. The highlights include singing the classic pop song "My Chinese Heart", reciting ancient poems, short stage comedy and Chinese folk dancing. All won great applause from the judges and audience.

All the contestants in the UK have been through a fierce preliminary round to reach the final. This year, the number of participants has doubled.

At the moment, there are 12 Confucius Institutes and 31 Confucius Classes in the UK. 38% of employers in the country are seeking people who can speak Chinese. The ability to speak Chinese is an advantage for job seekers in Britain.