Winners Announced in 2025 “Chinese Bridge” Los Angeles Regional Final: Young U.S. Chinese Language Learners Shine on Stage

LAPost / Los Angeles, CA (May 18, 2025) — The 2025 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College, Secondary, and Primary School Students (Los Angeles Regional Final) was held on May 17 at the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles. Sixteen finalists, selected from preliminary rounds, took to the stage for a spirited competition that included speeches, a Q&A session, and cultural talent showcases.

Ana Catalina Aravena (University of Hawaiʻi), Clavin Hodges (middle school student), and Thanachrid Sangrit Uparanukraw (elementary school student) won first place in their respective categories. They now advance to represent the Los Angeles region in the international semi-finals and finals in China this July and August.

Ambassador Shaochun Guo, Consul General of China in Los Angeles, attended the event with his wife Wei Wang, joined by Deputy Consul General Zhiqiang Guo, Education Counselor Wei Huang, and Perry K. Martin, M.Ed., President of La Salle College Preparatory—the school that organized the preliminary competitions—as well as family members of the contestants.

In his opening remarks, Consul General Guo praised the growing popularity of the Chinese Bridge competition among young learners across the U.S. “Hosting the finals at the Consulate is our way of welcoming the community and responding to the growing interest in learning more about Chinese culture and traditions,” he said.

La Salle College Preparatory has served as the official organizer for the Southwest U.S. regional primary and secondary school selections since 2024. President Perry K. Martin, remarked, “This year, we had 16 outstanding finalists from across seven U.S. states. Each of these students demonstrated remarkable academic excellence and a strong commitment to cultural exchange and global citizenship.”

One highlight of the event was the return of Carson Wengert, last year’s second-place global finalist in the high school category, who spoke in fluent Mandarin about his Chinese learning journey. A recent high school graduate from Arizona, Carson is the only Mandarin speaker in his family. He described how studying Chinese has expanded his worldview and enriched his personal growth.

This year’s themes were “Chinese, Joy & Fun!” for elementary students, “Fly High with Chinese” for middle schoolers, and “One World, One Family” for university students. Contestants gave speeches based on these themes, answered cultural trivia questions, and performed traditional or creative talents reflecting their understanding of Chinese culture.

Graduate student Ana Catalina Aravena impressed judges with her story about friendships with Chinese international students and her passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine, which she aims to promote globally.

Clavin Hodges, middle school champion, recited an original Chinese poem and eloquently used the phrase “Perseverance can carve through metal” to describe his dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer like Michael Phelps.

Primary school winner Thanachrid Sangrit Uparanukraw captivated the audience in traditional Chinese costume, performing music and dance, including waist drum playing and Chinese folk tunes.

The event was hosted by Education Consul Qun Wang, with a panel of five experienced Mandarin teachers serving as judges, including Na Pan, Bin He, and Fei Li.

Launched in 2002 by the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, the “Chinese Bridge” competition is an annual global event for non-native Chinese learners. It aims to foster international understanding, cultural exchange, and friendship through language education and appreciation of Chinese culture.

Reported by: Richard Ren