Chinese singing contest held in Bulgaria

SOFIA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The fifth edition of the Chinese singing contest "Rose Melodies" was held here on Saturday to promote Chinese learning and Chinese culture in Bulgaria.

Nine solo performers and groups from all over Bulgaria participated in the event under the motto "Learn Chinese, Sing Chinese Songs."

The contest, as part of the celebration of the United Nations Chinese Language Day, was organized by the Confucius Institute in Sofia, and dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria.

Leda Kyulhanova from Sofia won the singing contest. The 16-year-old girl told Xinhua that winning the award was "very exciting" for her. She has been studying Chinese for three years.

Guan Xin, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Sofia, said that performing Chinese songs in the Chinese language tested not only the singers' linguistic and singing skills, but also their understanding and appreciation of the cultural connotations and cultural context of the songs.