Recently, the award ceremony of the 2025 "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay and Short Video Competition, guided by the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education, hosted by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) of the Ministry of Education and organized by Huanqiu.com, was held in Beijing. Diplomatic envoys from more than 20 countries, leaders of universities and educational institutions, representatives of enterprises and media, and award-winning representatives attended the event.

Award ceremony

Students from CUG won 2 third prizes and 2 excellence awards in the competition, and CUG was awarded the Excellent Organization Award. Ms. Yin Siqin from International Education College served as the instructor for the competition.

Warm Notes in Winter by Viraxay Vongphet from Laos won the third prize; What the Characters "Happiness" Taught Me by Bushra Yahia Mousa Bany Abdullah from Jordan, won the third prize; Tasting the Flavors of China by Law Wai Tung, a student from Malaysia, won the excellence award; My Bond with Chinese Characters in Anshan by Bai Hai, a student from Russia, won the excellence award.

During the award ceremony, Xi Ru, Level 2 Counselor of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education, Lord Jo Johnson, former UK Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, and other Chinese and foreign guests presented certificates to the award-winning representatives one after another.

Viraxay said: "Standing on this stage is not only an affirmation of my personal writing, but also a recognition of my story with China. Over the past three years, China has changed from a foreign land to my home." Bushra said: "From the Chinese characters 'xing fu' (happiness), I understand the Chinese way of life and emotional expression. Being able to write down these insights and win an award is the greatest encouragement for my Chinese learning."

Viraxay Vongphet and Bushra Yahia Mousa Bany Abdullah

It is reported that the competition received a total of 3,007 submissions from 137 countries and regions, a substantial increase of 252% compared with previous years; participants covered four continents: Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After online voting and expert review, 124 works won awards. All award-winning works will be released on the Study in China website, WeChat official accounts and overseas social media platforms. The award-winning essays have been compiled into a book titled My Beautiful Encounter with China and will be officially published.