Cardiff University student wins Best Performance Award at Chinese Bridge UK Regional Final

A Cardiff University Modern Languages student has been recognised at national level after winning the Best Performance Award at the UK Regional Final of the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, held at SOAS University of London on 5 June 2026.

Representing Cardiff Confucius Institute

Deeksha Venkatesh (Fan Xiaozhang) represented the Cardiff Confucius Institute at the prestigious competition, which brought together 18 contestants from universities and Confucius Institutes across the UK.

Over 200 people were present, including representatives from the British Council, Universities UK, directors and teachers from various Confucius Institutes in the UK, as well as teachers and students from UK universities, and secondary and primary schools.

Themed speech

The final featured multiple stages, including a themed speech, a Chinese knowledge quiz, a judges’ Q&A, and a Performance showcase. In her speech, Deeksha shared her personal journey of learning Chinese and discovering Chinese culture, demonstrating both strong language proficiency and cultural understanding.

Performance

For the Performance segment, Deeksha performed the Chinese classical dance Xi Wen Shuo, delivering a graceful and expressive performance that captivated both judges and audience. Her outstanding presentation earned her the Best Performance Award, recognising her artistic excellence and dedication.

This achievement highlights both Deeksha’s hard work and the strength of Chinese language learning at Cardiff University, supported by the Cardiff Confucius Institute.

Deeksha said: “Taking part in the Chinese Bridge competition has been an unforgettable experience. Learning Chinese has opened the door to a new language, culture and way of thinking, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent Cardiff University at the UK Regional Final. Receiving the Best Performance Award means a great deal to me, especially as it allowed me to share my passion for Chinese culture through dance. I would like to sincerely thank the Cardiff Confucius Institute and my teachers for their guidance, encouragement, and support throughout my preparation. This achievement would not have been possible without them.”

Now in its 25th year, the "Chinese Bridge" competition has welcomed over 1.2 million participants from 147 countries since its inception, making it a global showcase for student achievement in Chinese language and cultural understanding.

Another successful year

Cardiff Confucius Institute’s Academic Director, Langlang Wang, said: “Deeksha should be extremely proud of this outstanding achievement. Her success marks another strong year for the Cardiff Confucius Institute, following Oliver Hassan’s overall runner-up position last year and his progression to the global final in China. These accomplishments are a testament to the talent, dedication and hard work of our students, as well as the commitment and support of our staff.”