On November 29, 2024, the Consulate General of China in Kolkata, in cooperation with Cheena Bhavana of Visra Bharati University, held the 7th "Xuan Zang Cup" Chinese Speech Contest in Santiniketan, West Bengal. Consul General Xu Wei, Vice Chancellor of Visra Bharati University Binoy Kumar Saren, Dean of Language College Pradhan, Director of Cheena Bhavana Avijit Banerjee, Director of Northeast Indian Cultural Center Dr. Gogoi and other officials attended the event. Forty students from six universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Gujarat Central University, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Banaras Hindu University and Tezpur University, participated in the contest. More than 100 people, including teachers and students of relevant schools, diplomats from the Consulate General of China in Kolkata and media attended the event.
Consul General Xu Wei said in his speech that both Xuan Zang and Tagore are symbols of the traditional friendship between China and India and have made important historical contributions to the cultural exchanges between China and India. Not long ago, the leaders of the two countries had a successful meeting in Kazan, marking the restart of China-India relations. The Consulate General will endeavour to promote educational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and India in the region, and provide convenience for Indian friends to study in China. He encouraged the students to learn Chinese well and devote to be a bridge of communication and friendship envoys between the two peoples, so as to contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
The contest was divided into advanced group and intermediate group. The participants made impromptu speeches on Chinese traditional culture and China-India exchanges. The competition was intense and exciting, demonstrating the contestants' Chinese language proficiency, their love for Chinese culture and their expectations for China-India friendship. After the competition, Consul General Xu Wei and other officials presented certificates of honor and prizes to the winners.
