Leidy  Exposito, a student from Havana's Confucius Institute, mounted the winners'  podium in the recent 2021 Chinese Talent Contest in Latin America and the  Caribbean as the event organizer earlier unveiled the list of victors.

The  22-year-old enthusiast of Chinese culture was awarded the second prize in  Chinese calligraphy, one of the three categories in the competition, which also  included Chinese dance and traditional Chinese painting.

The  contest, which was held online via video link, offered an excellent platform for  foreign students to better understand the charm of the Chinese language, culture  and history, Exposito says.

"To  be honest, I started studying the new language to communicate with my Chinese  boyfriend, who did not speak too much Spanish," she says.

"But  now I feel totally inspired to continue improving my skills as a  Chinese-language learner."

Co-sponsored  by the Chinese International Education Foundation Regional Office for Latin  America and the Caribbean and the ASA Panama Foundation, the contest aimed to  spark the interest of youths in the Chinese language and culture, and promote  friendship and communication between China and the region.

In  total, 17 prizes were awarded by the jury during the contest, with four awarded  to students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Havana.

One  of them is Rosalia de la Caridad Grau, who won third place in the category of  traditional Chinese dance after weeks of practice. The 19-year-old enrolled in  the institute five years ago and is now studying telecommunications engineering  at the Technological University of Havana Jose Antonio Echeverria.

"I  always knew that learning Chinese could be difficult, but I like challenges,"  she says. "In addition, I want to be able to read most of the news and articles  about technology, which are written in Chinese."

Meanwhile,  the third prize winner in the category of Chinese traditional painting, Patricia  Rivera, says China has deeply impressed the world with the achievements made by  its people.

"I  feel flattered and proud of being awarded in this contest. I feel committed to  continue learning the different techniques used by Chinese painters," the  24-year-old says.

Over  the past few years, learning the Chinese language and culture have become  increasingly popular on the island, thanks to efforts made by social  organizations and institutions, including Havana's Confucius Institute, from  which thousands of students have graduated since its founding in 2009.

Yorbelis  Rosell, director of the institute, says these awards are a testimony to the  quality education of the center, as well as the great contribution made by  Chinese and Cuban teachers there.

"This  contest has been very beneficial for our students, who have been encouraged to  keep updated on the Chinese language and culture despite the coronavirus  pandemic," she says, adding that the institute will do more in next year's  edition.