The champions of five continents competed in the finals of the "Chinese Bridge" competition in Tianjin on Sept 21, with the contestant from the United States winning the overall championship. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"They are not just learning words and characters," she said. "They are learning the Chinese philosophy of life behind the language."

Since its launch, the Chinese Bridge has expanded to more than 160 countries and regions, evolving from a single contest into a broad platform for people-to-people and cultural exchange.

Liu Jiayi contributed to this story.