4th Chinese language speech contest held in Ukraine

KIEV, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The 4th annual Chinese language speech contest was held in Kiev on Thursday, showcasing the talents of Ukrainian college students in Mandarin proficiency and public speaking.

During the competition held at the Confucius Institute of the Kiev National Linguistic University (KNLU), 14 contestants presented short speeches in Chinese on topics "The Chinese language and me" and "Me and China".

In their speeches, the students, many of whom have studied in China, highlighted their experience in learning Mandarin and becoming acquainted with Chinese culture.

The participants of the contest had less than five minutes each to demonstrate their mastery to the audience and the experienced four-member jury.

A 21-year-old student of the KNLU, Daria Larionova, won the competition with a speech under the name "China -- the wings of my dream," telling her story of studying at the famed Tongji University based in Shanghai.

"I was inspired by my trip to China and by the people I've met there. This trip has greatly broadened my horizons and gave me the chance to get an insight into the Chinese culture and the country as a whole," Larionova told Xinhua.