UN Chinese Language Day celebrated in Cuba

HAVANA, April 21 (Xinhua) --- The United Nations (UN) Chinese Language Day was celebrated on Thursday in Cuba with outdoor activities at the Confucius Institute here.

Addressing the audience, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui said that language is the carrier of cultural exchange and a bridge to increase communication among peoples, adding that Chinese is becoming more and more relevant worldwide.

Taking place outdoors, the activities included Chinese calligraphy and painting exhibitions, traditional games, a Chinese traditional medicine embroidery workshop, and a Chinese tea ceremony.

Yorbelis Rosell, director of the institute, said that these activities help promote the Chinese language among the local population.

"We are very happy about the results we have achieved so far," she said. "Our students are making huge progress in Chinese language learning."

Among the participants was Pablo Leandro Manso, a second-year Chinese-language student who dreams of visiting China in the coming years.

"Chinese is the world's most spoken language and China plays an essential role in the international arena," he said. "Learning Chinese is investing in the future."

The study of Chinese language and culture has been on the rise in Cuba thanks to the work of social organizations and institutions such as the Confucius Institute, which has seen thousands of students graduate since its founding in 2009.

To Elisabeth Torres, learning Chinese has been one of the most thrilling and challenging experiences she has gone through so far. "The Chinese language is as difficult as it is beautiful. That is why I love it so much," she said.

The UN Chinese Language Day has been observed on April 20 every year since 2010, celebrating the language's contribution to the world while encouraging more people to learn it.