Cultural Connection

Chinese Bridge Chinese-proficiency competitions are bringing people together and helping to build a worldwide community working for a shared future. Fang Aiqing reports.

Georgies Srour, a 25-year-old Frenchman, talks eloquently about the history of Beijing, from the traditional hutong, or alleyways, to the establishment of the new administrative area in Tongzhou district - in Chinese.

Speaking Mandarin with a slight Beijing accent, he was in high spirits when asked to talk about his understanding of Beijing's urban space, city life and social interactions during a symposium at the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing in early November.