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Argentinian Chinese singing contest champs win trip to China

Xinhua, September 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The first ever Chinese singing talent competition held in Argentina had not one, but two winners over the weekend.

Winners Victoria Landeira and Cecilia Catacata beat out 12 other contestants for an opportunity to travel to China to learn more about its culture.

A total of 14 contestants competed on Saturday in the final round of the contest, organized by the Chinese embassy and language-teaching centers at the Esquina Carlos Gardel cultural center in the capital Buenos Aires.

"Several years ago I studied the language (Chinese) for two years," Landeira, 22, told Xinhua.

"Then I had to stop, because I had to dedicate myself to (university), but this year I am graduating," the native of Quilmes, a town in Greater Buenos Aires, added, suggesting she might pick up her Chinese studies where she left off.

China has long fascinated Landeira, who said that as part of her graphic design studies this year "had to work on (designing) some bills and I made some Chinese yuan."

The trip to China won't be Landeira's first.

"I was in China in 2011 -- I liked it a lot -- so I will be getting to know it better next year. I really like Chinese food," she said, smiling. "I'm really eager to go to China ... I'm very excited."

Catacata, who hails from Chacabuco, a city in Buenos Aires province, studied Chinese at the Confucius Institute in La Plata, the provincial capital.

"I have been studying for four years ... but I never imagined I could be a finalist (in the contest), I'm very surprised," said Catacata.

"I was not expecting this at all (but) my main objective, since I first began studying Chinese, has been to reach China," she said.

Catacata said she was looking forward to the trip, especially the chance to perfect her Chinese.

"I want to meet people, I want to bring friends with me, improve my language and make the most of this opportunity. I'm so happy," she said. "Studying Chinese is not easy, but being there for a good long while is going to help me better my pronunciation, vocabulary, everything."

Friends, family and other spectators filled the ground floor of the cultural center, while the upper floor hosted the judges and special guests, such as embassy personnel, representatives from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which sponsored the prizes.

The singing semifinals took place in June at the Chinese embassy in Buenos Aires, with 33 contestants selected out of an initial 80 who took part in local talent shows held at Confucius Institutes and classrooms around the country.

The contests aim to promote an appreciation for Chinese culture and the arts, especially among young students, and are supported by China's Ministry of Education and its department for teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Enditem