Young Zimbabwean showcase skills at Chinese talent...

Young Zimbabwean showcase skills at Chinese talent show

A participant performs martial art during a Chinese Talent Show in Harare, Zimbabwe, on May 12, 2023. The Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe on Friday held the second edition of the Chinese Talent Show for young competitors in the national capital of Harare to showcase their Chinese language skills and knowledge of Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping)

Xinhua - The Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe on Friday held the second edition of the Chinese Talent Show for young competitors in the national capital of Harare to showcase their Chinese language skills and knowledge of Chinese culture.

Participants in the competition were drawn from primary, high schools, and colleges. They entertained audiences with Chinese songs, dances, martial arts, and other exhilarating performances.

Chengetai Sithole, the winner of the college category, left viewers elated with his mesmerizing performance of Chinese martial art.

"Today I am very very happy, and I would love to thank my teacher who teaches me Chinese Kungfu for giving me this opportunity," Sithole told Xinhua after receiving the prize.

Having been influenced by Kungfu films as a child, the enthusiast drew the most cheers with his energetic performance.

"As young kids, we grew under the influence of the people we used to watch on television; people like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee -- those are the legends that we were looking up to," said Sithole. "My wish is to go to where it actually originates and actually have a taste of its purity there."

Fourteen-year-old Rutendo Chidawanyika, the winner of the high school category, wowed the audience with her grasp of the Chinese language when she performed a song.

"I was not expecting to be crowned the winner; I was really nervous. It's not easy to sing in front of people," said Chidawanyika.

Victor Mugari, deputy dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Zimbabwe, said China's ever-growing global influence and the marked increase of business between Zimbabwe and China demand a higher level of mutual understanding between the two sides.

He said the Chinese Talent Show aims to cultivate students who will champion Zimbabwe-China relations in the future.

China and Zimbabwe maintain close ties. The Asian country is one of the largest foreign investors in Zimbabwe, with investments ranging from agriculture, mining, and communications, to the energy sector.

To promote the learning of the Chinese language in the country, the University of Zimbabwe became one of the first institutions of higher education in Africa to host a Confucius Institute in 2006. More than 16,000 students have attended Chinese language classes at the institute.

The Zimbabwean government has also taken various measures to promote the study of the language, including the introduction of Chinese classes in elementary, high schools, and colleges.