One Hundred Canadian Students Recite 300 Ancient Poems — The 3rd Canadian Chinese Poetry Recitation Competition Concludes Successfully

June 3, 2025 yanfei3001

(Huawen.com, Toronto - Special Correspondent Luo Yangfu) On June 1, 2025, International Children's Day, the “3rd Canadian Chinese Poetry 300 Recitation Competition: Poetry Master Challenge and Awards Ceremony,” jointly hosted by the Zhou Enlai Foundation and the Canadian Chinese Education Society, and co-organized by Gengyou Education, Xiangbai Culture Chinese School, Youshi Education, Dan Drama Chinese Little Theater, and Shuangkuai Chinese School, was grandly held at the Gengyou Education Center in Richmond Hill. This event presented a special holiday gift to Canadian youth. Distinguished guests including Yang Baofeng, permanent honorary chairman of the Federation of Chinese Diaspora Associations in Canada, Cui Binghui, Richmond Hill City Councillor, and Zhao Min, Secretary-General of the Zhou Enlai Foundation, attended the event. They joined over 200 young poetry enthusiasts, parents, and poetry lovers to witness this cultural spectacle.

A gathering of distinguished guests to jointly celebrate a grand occasion.

This event brought together many renowned figures from Canada's cultural and educational circles. The expert judges for the competition included Yan Fei, President of the Chinese Writers Association of Canada; Martha, founder of Little Elephant Media of Canada; Zhai Naigang, President of the Chinese Education Society of Canada; Hao Wei, a veteran overseas Chinese teacher; and Yang Hong, director of the Canadian University Literature Society. Representatives from the cultural and arts sectors, such as Chen Ping, initiator of the Toronto Chinese Writers Festival, and renowned painter Huang Xiaoyang, also attended the event. Educational representatives included Huang Min, Principal of Xiange Cultural Chinese School; Shen Lan and Liu Zuhua, Vice Principals of Geyou Education; and Yang Binru, a teacher at Xiange Cultural Chinese School. Luo Yangfu, co-founder of Geyou Education and Principal of Toronto Shuangkuai Chinese School, served as the Executive Chairman of the competition.

Opening Ceremony: A Perfect Blend of Tradition and Modernity

At 4 PM, the event kicked off with a spectacular performance by the Brilliance Dragon and Lion Sports Association and the Cypress Culture Chinese School's lion dance team. Following this, student Kong Kong, a three-time champion in the elementary school group challenge, delivered a pre-show talk that brought the atmosphere to a climax.

Zhao Min, Secretary-General of the Zhou Enlai Foundation, delivered a warm opening speech on behalf of the organizers: “It is a great honor to participate in this year's Canadian Poetry Competition and witness the talents and efforts of the students. First of all, I sincerely congratulate all the award-winning students – you have showcased the unique charm of Chinese culture to the fullest through the creation, recitation, and appreciation of poetry! Preserving the essence of Chinese poetry overseas is truly commendable. The Zhou Enlai Foundation is a federally registered charity in Canada, established in 2011, with the aim of discovering and nurturing young elites and providing support in their areas of talent. For over a decade, we have organized and supported numerous educational and cultural activities, including the Canadian Student Chinese Spring Festival Gala showcasing diverse cultural talents, the Canadian Poetry Competition that inherits the beauty of poetry, and supporting students in participating in international competitions such as the World Mathematics Tournament (WMTC) and the Invitationals” Hope Cup International Mathematics Competition (IHCMI). These achievements are inseparable from the strong support of various sectors of the community. We sincerely invite everyone to continue to pay attention to the foundation's development, and all donations are eligible for tax-deductible receipts. Finally, congratulations to all the award-winning students, and thank you to the dedicated teachers and parents! Let us work together to cultivate cultural seeds and help dreams take flight!"

Poetry Master Challenge: Young Talents Showcase Their Brilliance

The Poetry Master Challenge is divided into three age groups: preschool, elementary, and middle school. Participants enthusiastically took part in various segments, including reciting ancient poems, poem-chaining, matching poems to images, explaining characters and words, and translating verses. The elementary group also featured a "risk" rapid-fire question segment, while the middle school group introduced a challenging ancient poetry dictation. The contestants answered calmly, demonstrating the overseas Chinese youth's deep understanding of Chinese culture, and the competition venue was filled with applause.

During the break, expert judge, gold medalist Jin Yufei, passionately recited her award-winning work "Five Ancient Poems - Our China," earning rounds of applause.

At the “Poetry Virtuoso Challenge’ competition, guest judge Yan Fei, Chairman of the Canadian Chinese Writers Association, delivered an insightful review of the event. He highly praised the contestants’ performances and, quoting classical texts, encouraged the young poetry enthusiasts by saying, ”This is a competition with a unique character, and it has deeply moved me! Chinese is the most beautiful language in the world, and ancient Chinese poetry is the essence of Chinese, with its exquisite imagery and enduring charm. Today, the three of us judges were completely immersed in the competition. The contestants from the kindergarten and primary school groups truly embodied the spirit of 'a young lotus just beginning to show its tip, with a dragonfly already landing on it'; while the middle school contestants displayed the youthful vigor of 'in their prime, with scholarly ambition, their words flowing with power.' I suggest that parents encourage their children to recite ancient Chinese poetry more often, as the saying goes, 'Recite three hundred Tang poems, and you'll be able to chant poetry even if you can't compose it.' This accumulated knowledge will surely be put to good use in the future."

Teacher Yan Fei specifically mentioned: ”This competition is sponsored by the Zhou Enlai Foundation. It reminds me of Premier Zhou's poems that I memorized in middle school: ’After the great river's song, turn your head east; the profound sciences will relieve the world's poverty. Ten years of facing the wall to break the wall; even if unable to repay the sea, you are still a hero.’ And Chairman Mao Zedong's famous lines: ’Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu, slightly lacking in literary grace; Tang Zong and Song Zu, a bit inferior in style. Genghis Khan, the greatest of all time, only knew how to draw his bow and shoot eagles. All have passed, for true heroes, look to today.’ These poems are still fresh in my memory.”

The Poetry Master Challenge was hosted by the executive chairman of the competition, Luo Yangfu.

Award Ceremony: Moment of Glory

The awards ceremony was jointly hosted by expert judges and Golden Award winners Yufei Jin, Siyuan Li, and Jinping Zhang.

Ms. Yang Baofeng, Honorary Life Chairman of the Federation of Chinese Canadian Associations, fully affirmed the significant importance of this event in inheriting Chinese culture and promoting community cultural development in her speech. She said, “I have participated in the poetry competition for three consecutive terms. I feel very honored and deeply moved to see teachers, children, and especially parents diligently working to help their children remember their roots and pass on Chinese culture. This is of great significance. Despite the lack of an ideal language environment, the children have overcome difficulties, and under the guidance of their teachers and parents, they recite ancient poems very well, which is deeply touching. Everyone hopes that the culture of our motherland will flourish overseas, and by working together, we have achieved this!” Following this, Mao Zedong's poems were recited with great emotion, earning warm applause from the audience. She encouraged the children to bravely climb the peaks of poetry with the phrase, “The most breathtaking views are found at the precipice.”

Competition Executive Chairman Luo Yangfu reviewed the event preparation process and gave a heartfelt message to the poetry masters: “Chinese poetry is a cultural treasure that the Chinese nation presents to the world. It opens its arms to all souls who love beauty and language. Children growing up overseas hold a magical golden key, because flowing within poetry are the linguistic codes of our ancestors, passed down through generations – Chinese. Ancient poetry can make ordinary life sparkle! Sow the seeds of poetry now, and in the future, you will harvest an entire spring! May every child carry this special ‘poetic backpack’ and blossom into the most brilliant cultural flower on this land of Canada!”

Richmond City Councillor Binghuai Cui delivered an inspiring speech and presented a congratulatory letter to the organizers. In his speech, he elaborated on the profoundness and long history of Chinese culture and encouraged children to learn Chinese well and become ambassadors of Chinese culture. In the congratulatory letter, he wrote: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and sincere greetings to all participants of the 3rd Canadian Chinese Poetry Recitation Competition Live Challenge and Award Ceremony, jointly organized by the Canada Zhou Enlai Foundation and the Chinese Language Education Association of Canada. I thank the Canada Zhou Enlai Foundation and the Chinese Language Education Association of Canada for providing an excellent platform for community members to gather and participate. This event will play an important role in promoting traditional Chinese poetry culture and enhancing Sino-Canadian cultural exchange. Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, and community members for your support!”

After speeches by expert judge Hao Wei, parent representative Song Yiyang's mother, and student representative Chen Yayi, several major awards were presented on-site, including the Most Popular Award, the Expert Judge Award, and the Poetry Master Challenge Award. Outstanding organizing units and supervising teachers were also recognized.

The theme of this year's competition is “Reciting Chinese Poetry, Appreciating Millennia of Elegant Charm,” attracting over 100 young participants from across Canada to compete. The contestants range in age from 4 to 18 years old. A total of 13 Most Popular awards, 86 Expert Judge awards, and 12 Challenge Competition awards were presented (the winners list is attached).

Expert judge Ms. Hao Wei gave a brilliant critique of the submitted works and expressed high expectations. She emotionally said, “As a Chinese education worker serving as a judge for three consecutive competitions, I am delighted to see the improvement in the contestants” recitation skills year by year. This year is particularly gratifying, as the vast majority of the entries met Mandarin standards with clear articulation and fluent delivery. What's more valuable is that many contestants demonstrated professional-level stage presence, demeanor, tone, and pacing, involuntarily immersing the judges in the artistic conception of the works.“ Ms. Hao Wei specifically pointed out, ”Recitation is not just the expression of language, but also the inheritance of culture. To truly interpret ancient poetry requires a deep understanding of the author's creative background and emotional connotations. This cultural accumulation will take root and blossom in your young hearts, becoming a precious treasure in your lives."

Mothers of student representatives, including Song Yiyang's mother, shared their thoughts in their speeches. She vividly illustrated the unique value of Chinese poetry by contrasting American influencers repeatedly exclaiming ”Oh my god” at Chinese scenic spots with her son's ability at age five to describe Niagara Falls using the poem “Viewing the Waterfall at Lushan.” She expressed gratitude to the organizers and co-organizers for providing a platform for overseas Chinese children to showcase their talents, emphasizing that the significance of the competition lies not only in the competition itself but also in fostering cultural identity and linguistic confidence. “The growth the children gain is more precious than any award,” she stated, highlighting the importance of parents' persistence in Chinese language education. She concluded with the quote "When you ascend to the highest peak, you can see all mountains dwarfed beneath," offering it as a wish for the students, anticipating that they will, in the future, use poetic Chinese to convey the charm of Chinese culture to the world. Her speech, reflecting deep contemplation on cultural inheritance by overseas Chinese, received a warm response from the audience.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Zhai Naigang, Chair of the competition and President of the Canadian Association for Chinese Language Education, praised the event as “a Canadian version comparable to China’s Poetry Competition” and emphasized that mastering Chinese requires “three indispensable elements”:First, students, parents, and teachers are all indispensable, with parents being the most critical factor. This is because parents need to establish a family language policy and determine the priority given to Chinese language learning; they are also responsible for financial support and logistical arrangements, including picking up and dropping off their children rain or shine. Second, structure, function, and culture are all indispensable—a consensus within the international Chinese language education community.Poetry is one of the key tools for cultural instruction. The famous quotes and aphorisms found in classical poetry are an integral part of written Chinese instruction. When learners appropriately quote them in spoken or written contexts, it significantly enhances their Chinese expression skills and demonstrates their linguistic proficiency. At the same time, the literary imagery of classical poetry possesses a unique expressiveness, serving as an important pathway for cultivating learners“ appreciation of the unique charm of Chinese culture. Furthermore, learning, testing, and competitions are all indispensable.Classroom learning lays the foundation, focusing on Chinese characters, vocabulary, sentences, and texts, while training students in listening, speaking, reading, writing (and translation) skills. Standardized testing is a crucial component for assessing learning outcomes and monitoring progress. True masters of the Chinese language often achieve high scores on the corresponding levels of the HSK or YCT exams. Using exams to drive teaching and learning is a viable approach to promoting the standardization, systematization, and normalization of Chinese language instruction and learning overseas.Excellent competition platforms provide students with a stage to showcase what they have learned, allowing them to apply their knowledge in practice and learn through enjoyment, which helps boost their confidence and sense of achievement. It is heartening to see that our poetry recitation competition is beginning to establish its brand presence, becoming a Canadian version comparable to China’s ”Poetry Conference.“ We hope that more and more parents, students, and community members will join us in cultivating a new generation of local poetry experts in Canada.

In her speech, student representative Candy Chen shared with deep emotion: “As a contestant who has participated for three consecutive years, I have personally experienced the journey of growth from memorizing 20 classical poems to 50.Each competition presented a new challenge and served as a precious learning opportunity. Through reciting these poems, I have come to appreciate the artistic vision and charm of classical poetry, learned the names and stories of many great poets, and gained a deeper understanding of the meanings behind the verses. I have gained so much and benefited immensely. Now, I am increasingly interested in classical poetry, and my proficiency in Chinese has improved significantly. I would like to extend my special thanks to the competition organizing committee for providing me with so many opportunities to learn and grow!”

Parental Voices: Moved and Hopeful

The event was filled with a rich cultural atmosphere. Friendly interactions and poetry recitations took place both inside and outside the venue, transforming it into an ocean of poetry and a hall of joy. Parent representative Song Yiyang's mother emotionally expressed, “Thank you to the organizing committee of the competition, thank you to Teacher Luo and all the teachers and volunteers for their dedication, for bringing such a poetry feast to the children and parents!”

Many parents of participating students expressed their sincere gratitude at the event. Zhang Zixuan's mother said emotionally, “Hearing Teacher Luo's speech today deeply moved me, and I choked up several times. This event not only made us realize the importance of children learning Chinese better, but also instilled hope that they will become spreaders of Chinese culture in the future.” Qu Jiayu's mother and several other parents joined in with praise: “Congratulations on the complete success of the event! Thank you to the organizing committee and Teacher Luo for providing such a precious learning and showcasing opportunity for the children!” The atmosphere at the scene was warm and touching, with many parents expressing their thanks by posting on WeChat Moments, leaving comments, and sharing photos.

“It was while accompanying my children in their studies that I truly came to appreciate the beauty of ancient poetry! Tasting delicacies through ancient poems, traveling with ancient poems, visiting famous scenic spots with ancient poems – and more importantly, engaging in dialogue with these great poets at various stages of life. To think of having such esteemed teachers and friends throughout the different phases of my own life is indeed a great fortune!” shared Zhang Hanyi's mother sincerely about her experience reading poetry. “Her grandfather even had the award certificate from last year's ancient poetry recitation competition laminated and preserved, a record of the child's every step of growth,” shared Liu Xiran's grandmother joyfully. “We hope to continue participating in future events.” “It's wonderful that you provide such a great platform for them to learn Chinese; I'm truly happy for these children,” said Zhang Ziyi's mother and another mother, voicing the thoughts of many parents.

Festival of cultural heritage

This event not only provided a stage for overseas Chinese youth to showcase their talents, but also, through the medium of poetry, promoted the dissemination and development of Chinese culture in Canada.

The prizes for this competition are entirely sponsored by the Zhou Enlai Foundation, whose mission is to discover and cultivate young elites. Although the organizing committee has not officially announced the sponsorship, some parents have made anonymous donations, which is deeply touching. The organizing committee stated that they will continue to hold distinctive Chinese language competitions and events, and build more platforms for cultural exchange for overseas Chinese youth.

The preliminary reading list for the next poetry competition is tentatively set as: 25 poems for the early childhood group, 60 poems for the primary school group, and 80 poems for the secondary school group. Additionally, plans are in place to add an adult performance group.

Special thanks:

The spectacular moments of the competition were fully captured by four heavyweight photographers: LILI CHENG, Sun Baoli, Wang Yongfu, and Leeian Dai. The award certificates for the Poetry Masters Challenge were personally inscribed by Mr. Zhang Shiyun, Deputy Secretary-General of the Beijing Association and head of the Beijing Association's Painting and Calligraphy Club, and calligraphy teacher Mr. Huang Qinghong.

Third Canadian Chinese Poetry Recitation Competition Award Winners List

Most Popular Award Winners List13 people

Gold Award: Feng Xiaolin (Christina Patrice Feng Li) Feng Xinxin (Alvin Louis Feng Li)

Silver Award: Li Siyuan, Candy Chen, Wang Wen, Humphrey Lu

Bronze Award: Zhou Zihan, Zhou Ziqin, Zhang Xiya, Song Yiyang (Alex Song), Kong Kong, Cui Yunxi (Chelsea Cui), He Jingwen

List of Winners for the Expert Jury Award (Total86 people

Kindergarten group

Gold Award: Zhang Jiping

Silver Award: Vera Liu, Christina Patrice Feng Li

Bronze Prize: Li Yupei, You Luo'an, Zhang Xiya, Xue Zhiyan, Humphrey Lu

Honorable Mention: Li Zhaofeng, Feng Jiaqian, Oliver Xing, Wesley Zhang, Jasper Liang, Xu Muyi, Maggie Chen, Krish Arora

Elementary School Group

Gold Award: Jin Yufei, Fu Aimi, Li Siyuan

Silver Award: Chen Ya Yi (Candy Chen), Gao Shu Fei, Qu Jia Hui, Song Yi Yang (Alex Song), Wang Zi Qian, Kong Kong, Xie Yi Na

Bronze Award: Wang Wen, Wen Su, Xue Bochen, Chen Mingyu, Zhou Ziqin, Ma Anqi, Ye Tongtong, Wang Kexin, Yang Yuhang, Lin Yifei, Zhao Zihan

Excellence Award: Li Yuti, You Luojia, Zhang Zixuan, Feng Xinxin (Alvin Louis Feng Li), Nicolas Liang, Zhai Yiduo (Ethan Zhai), Li Zisheng, Zhao Ziqing, Cui Zichen, Li Zizheng, Di Jubo, Tessa Gan, Liu Beile, Ji Nuoxin (Dorothy Nuoxin Ji), Guo Yuxin, Yuan Hanlin, Lei Yiqiao, Adrian Zhang, Li Zicheng, Wang Yanan, Bao Shihong, Bao Yunwen, Yuan Hanjie, He Jingwen, Luo Mingcheng, Yuan Mingzhe, Feng Jiaen, Lin Shihao, Ke Fengyi, Zheng Yunxin, William Wei, Liang Ruiyuan, Xing Meiqi, Wu Annuo, Andy Tang, Wang Ziao, Wang Zixuan, Paco Cao

Junior high school group

Gold Prize: Pei Zhaoyi

Silver Award: Qu Jiayu, Cui Yunxi (Chelsea Cui)

Bronze Award: Zhou Zihan, Xie Yongru, Chen Yiyun, Victor Yao

Honorable Mention: Joey Yi, Zhang Hanyi, Chen Jundong, Tang Enjun

Poetry Master Challenge Award Winners List (12person

Kindergarten group

Gold Award: Zhang Jiping

Silver Award: You Luoan

Bronze Award: Zhang Xiya

Elementary School Group

Gold medal: Empty