On July 18th, the finals of the "2023 International Storytelling Competition on the 'Fascination of Chinese Characters'" in Jiangsu Province, hosted by the Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of Yangzhou Municipal Government, successfully concluded. The Jiangsu University Language and Culture Center selected two students, Michael Mosebetsi Moleka from Lesotho (referred to as "麦克") and Debashree Tripura from Bangladesh (referred to as "李昀"), who excelled in the fierce competition and received the second prize and excellent prize, respectively. Additionally, Meng Huixin and Professor Xu Dan received the Excellent Mentor Award.

After intense competition in the preliminary and semi-final rounds, ten participants from eight countries, including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, Lesotho, Syria, advanced to the finals.

In the afternoon finals, the top ten contestants presented 7-minute on-the-spot speeches with the theme of "homeland." Friends from different countries shared stories of cultural exchanges, mutual understanding, and mutual integration, painting a shared vision of building a better world. Judges scored the speeches based on core values, on-site impact, Chinese language expression, and the effectiveness of cultural exchange. The winners in various categories were determined accordingly.

Michael, an international student guided by the Language and Culture Center, gave a speech titled "The Earthly Home, Fate Shared." He interpreted his understanding of the Chinese character "家" (home) from three perspectives. He mentioned that above the character "家" is a sheltered house, and below is a plump pig. This representation dates back to ancient China when people used to live on the upper floor of their homes and raise pigs on the lower floor. A home provides shelter from wind and rain, and it offers food, which has been the expectation for a home from ancient times to the present day. Chinese people highly value "家" (home); it is a place of safety and stability, an emotional haven, a spiritual refuge, and a homeland for the soul. Michael's heartfelt speech touched on his experiences, his sincere expression of his aspiration to become a cultural ambassador between China and Africa, and his desire to continue learning from excellent Chinese doctors during his medical studies in China. He expressed his eagerness to bring back his knowledge to Lesotho and contribute to the health and well-being of the people in Lesotho and the Chinese people working there, striving to play a role in building a better and healthier global home.

The Language and Culture Center attached great importance to the selection and guidance of participants in this competition, as well as the organization of their participation. Jiang Yonghua, the Vice Dean of the School of Literature and Vice Director of the Language and Culture Center, and Tang Min, the Head of the International Chinese Teaching Department, began preparations as early as May. All full-time Chinese language teachers participated in the campus-level selection and the municipal-level finals. The Language and Culture Center will continue to guide international students in deepening their study of the Chinese language and, while mastering a new language, help them understand China's rich and profound culture. The center aims to assist international students in exchanging ideas, mutual learning, and growing together in their future studies.