A total of 144 students from Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao were awarded at an online Chinese essay competition that concluded on Saturday. Another 190 won honorary mentions at the event. The competition, part of a series of events held during the 22nd Shenzhen Reading Month in November, received more than 10,000 submissions from students in the three cities from among first to 12th graders. The students were required to write essays themed on reading books or envisioning a future. Huang Anyi, a first prizewinner from Bao’an Middle School (12th grader), wrote her essay in the form of a long letter to Ye Jiaying, a Chinese professor of Nankai University known for her efforts in promoting classical poetry. In her essay, Huang confided with Ye and expressed her admiration for the scholar because of her high moral standards, her bravery in sticking to her dreams and ideals, as well as her empathy and true feelings for people around her. The jury were impressed by the student’s mastery of the Chinese language, which she proved by writing in classical Chinese. Wang Yuting, a first prizewinner of the junior high school group, is from Shenzhen No. 2 Experimental School. She wrote a short sci-fi essay about an invention by her friend, which uses virtual reality to help students relax from their busy learning schedule. Among the 24 first prizewinners, four were from Hong Kong and two were Macao students. To ensure the safety of participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, an online awarding ceremony was held on Thursday, streamed live from Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian District. Qiu Gan, deputy director of the Organizing Committee of Shenzhen Reading Month, said the event was successful in enhancing the communications and friendship among students from the three cities, and also provided an opportunity for Chinese teachers to exchange and learn from each other. Ho Hon-kuen, chair of Hong Kong’s Education Convergence, praised the event as effective in promoting Chinese education in the Hong Kong SAR. Representatives from Macao also said the event was welcome among local students. During the online ceremony, students’ representatives also shared their personal experiences in reading and learning Chinese. They also recommended their favorite books to the participants. A key event of the Shenzhen Reading Month, this essay competition has been held 14 years consecutively, and aims to promote reading and writing in Chinese in the three cities. (Li Dan) | 