Participants and organizers of the Chinese Bridge competition pose for a group photo in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 18, 2019. Serbian students on Saturday competed during the final round of the Chinese Bridge competition, a Chinese proficiency competition for non-Chinese students. (Xinhua/Nemanja Cabric)

BELGRADE, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Serbian students on Saturday competed during the final round of the Chinese Bridge competition, a Chinese proficiency competition for non-Chinese students.

Around a dozen students competed in speeches, skills and quiz about China during the finals at the First Belgrade Gymnasium.

Chen Hui, Chinese director of the Confucius institute at the University of Novi Sad told Xinhua that his institution organizes the competition every year with support from Chinese sponsors, and the best competitors will travel to China to take part in the 18th international Chinese Bridge competition.

"There is a big difference between Chinese and Serbian culture, and for Serbian people Chinese language is hard to master. This competition helps students to improve their language skills further, as well as to strengthen the relationship between people of Serbia and China," Chen said.

The jury gave highest marks to Tijana Copic, a 21-year-old student of English language at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Novi Sad.

During her presentation she wrote a Chinese proverb meaning that "we need to go through life peacefully and calmly, and this is the only way we can succeed".

She told Xinhua that she has been learning Chinese for almost two years. She chose Chinese as an optional subject among many other languages at the faculty, because she saw it as both "completely unfamiliar and fascinating".

"I still cannot believe that I will go to China again, alone... I went to China last year, so now I am glad to have the chance to visit again and get to know people and culture even more," Copic said.