“Promoting Civilizational Exchange and Mutual Learning & Building a Beautiful and Harmonious World Together” Essay Competition Held in Romania

H.E. Ambassador HAN Chunlin

On November 17, the award ceremony for the essay competition with the theme “Promoting Civilizational Exchange and Mutual Learning & Building a Beautiful and Harmonious World” was held at the Chinese Embassy in Romania. Present at the ceremony were H.E. Ambassador HAN Chunlin, former Romanian Ambassador to China Viorel Isticioaia, President of the Romanian Chinese Business Association HU Xiaojun, Directors of the Confucius Institutes in Romania, sinologists and students from participating universities.

Ambassador HAN stated that the chosen theme reflects our belief that civilizational exchange and mutual learning are crucial forces for advancing human civilization and world peace. In the current world filled with challenges and uncertainties, regional conflicts occur from time to time. “Wars originate from human thoughts.” Only by building barriers to defend peace in our thoughts can we reduce wars and conflicts. Cultural exchange and mutual learning can decrease misunderstandings, eliminate barriers, biases, and hatred, spreading the concept of peace in the hearts of people worldwide and sailing the ship of peace.

He expressed his hope that Chinese language learners in universities could take over the relay baton from the older generation of sinologists and translators and become inheritors and promoters of China-Romania friendship in the new era. He encouraged them to contribute their efforts to the exchange and mutual learning between China and Romania so as to cement China-Romania friendship and nurture the seeds of world peace at large.

IGNAT D. BRIAN-TIMOTEI, a student majoring in Chinese at the University of Babes-Boyayi, won the first prize for the best essay. In his essay, he wrote, “From the ancient ‘Silk Road’ to the present ‘Belt and Road’, the inheritance of civilization has always been ongoing. As a country along the ‘Belt and Road’, Romania has consistently supported this initiative beneficial to global development, striving to make a contribution to the world’s development together. Through the ‘Silk Road’ and ‘Belt and Road’, I have seen China’s actions in implementing the vision of building ‘a community of shared future for mankind’ and the Chinese speed to gather the maximum common denominator for the common development of humanity. It makes me genuinely feel that every country in the world is equal and equally important. As a Romanian citizen, I want to use the power of language to deepen the cultural exchange between China and Romania, enhance exchanges between the people of the two countries and take the friendship between the two countries to a higher level.”

Kriszta Pop, a student who is currently studying in China, received the Best Story Award. She narrated an interesting story about her grandfather becoming good friends with the owner of a Chinese restaurant over a Chinese scroll painting. She mentioned that during toasts, the restaurant owner would deliberately place his glass lower than her grandfather’s as a sign of respect, a custom observed by many other Chinese people, akin to a “lowering the glass” competition. Despite language barriers, the “lowering the glass” cultural exchange story reflected, against the background of civilization, harmony can be and should be sought in this diverse world. In every small detail of our life, we can find the seeds to build a harmonious future. All cultures around the world should join hands, share wisdom, learn from each other—this is the significance of promoting and enriching human civilization.

After the award ceremony, David Denisa-Elena and Bratu Stefania-Raluca, who had participated in the finals of the “Chinese Bridge” World Chinese Competition in China on behalf of Romania, shared their experiences and encouraged fellow students to learn Chinese well and contribute to China-Romania cultural exchanges.

Musicians from the Hong Kong String Orchestra, currently on tour in Eastern Europe, presented a “surprise” performance for the attendees.

This essay competition invited students majoring in Chinese language and literature at the University of Bucharest, Transilvania University Brasov, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. The competition awarded one first prize for the best essay, two second prizes, three third prizes, one Best Story Award, and one Best Writing Style Award.

China Cultural Center in Bucharest and the Romanian Chinese Business Association worked as partners of the Chinese Embassy in this essay competition.

20.11.2023 / Editor, Andreea Dragan