Passy Charies Riseph, a Republic of the Congo student at Shanxi University (SXU), wins third-place in the global finals of the 2021 "My Story of Chinese Hanzi" international competition. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]

Passy Charies Riseph, a Republic of the Congo student at Shanxi University (SXU), won third-place in the global finals of the 2021 "My Story of Chinese Hanzi" international competition, which concluded in Xining, Northwest China's Qinghai province, on Oct 12.

The international competition sponsored by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries was themed around the Chinese character Ren (benevolence and the unity of all things under heaven rooted) in the core of Confucianism. 

It aimed to help more foreigners understand the Chinese nation's pursuit of peace, amity, harmony, mutual respect, equity, justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation by showing contestants' perception of Chinese culture and promoting the charm of Chinese characters and traditional Chinese values. 

The competition has attracted the participation of over 3,000 Chinese learning enthusiasts from more than 50 countries and regions since it launched online on May 17.

Since the event was launched globally, it has received an enthusiastic response from people around the world.

Nine international students from SXU participated in the preliminary round, and four of them entered the semi-finals. Passy Charies Riseph stood out in the semi-finals and competed for the championship with nine other contestants around the world, talking about their bond with Chinese characters and sharing their understanding of the meaning of Ren.

The event marked important progress by SXU's international students in participating in the national Chinese competition.

The School of International Education and Exchange at SXU has always promoted innovation in the education and training of international students, continuously improving teaching quality and attracting outstanding students and scholars from around the world. 

It has also been committed to building a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning between excellent national cultures and civilizations, to enhance the social influence of SXU and contribute to the spread of Chinese culture.