Bulgarian national qualifications of the Fourth "Chinese Bridge" -- Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students were held on Wednesday in Sofia.

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Guo Yezhou told the opening ceremony that the Bulgarian team won the second place at last year 's "Chinese Bridge" competition finals.

Milena Damianova, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Education said that these good results were achieved with China's help.

Ten students, representing about 300 teenagers studying Chinese in Bulgaria, demonstrated Chinese language skill and knowledge China through essays, dances and songs.

They were applauded by more than 100 classmates, the newly appointed Consul General of Bulgaria in Shanghai Irina Beleva and other officials.

Kalina Dimitrova, 19, won the competition, and together with her two runners-up will travel to China for the finals.

Dimitrova told Xinhua that she began to study Chinese in Sofia only the last year but she lived in China from 2004 to 2009.

"I will be happy to win the final competition in China, to study in a Chinese university and to stay in China, this time -- forever, " Dimitrova said. The "Chinese Bridge" competition was first organized in Bulgaria by the Confucius Institute in 2008 to inspire Bulgarian students between 15 to 20 years old to learn Chinese and enhance their understanding of the Chinese culture.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2011)