On March 30, the 2025 "Chinese Bridge" Global Foreigners Chinese Storytelling Competition (Central China Division) was held at Hubei University of Economics.  Under the theme "Chinese as a Bridge, Telling Stories of the World" ,the event aimed to draw a blueprint for mutual learning among world civilizations through cross-temporal and spatial cultural dialogue, amidst falling cherry blossoms.

The International Office (School of International Education) of our university actively organized students to participate in the competition. After a rigorous selection process, HUSNAIN MUHAMMAD(哈森), a first-year graduate student from Pakistan studying at the School of Life Sciences, was recommended to compete. HUSNAIN shared his story titled “My Chinese Spring Festival: A Foreigner’s Journey of Belonging”,  He humorously and vividly recounted in Chinese his experience celebrating the Spring Festival with friends in Xianning, Hubei. Activities like putting up Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, displaying the character "Fu" (fortune), enjoying the reunion dinner, setting off fireworks, and receiving red envelopes filled every household with joy and liveliness. This allowed his foreign friends to deeply feel the rich festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year.HUSNAIN expressed his desire to share the traditions and happiness of the Spring Festival with friends back in Pakistan, hoping to encourage more international friends to come to China for the New Year and experience the delights of Chinese cuisine.

It is reported that this competition, hosted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education, attracted 183 international students from 58 countries across over 50 universities in the Central China Division. The event aims to encourage more international students to learn Chinese, experience traditional Chinese culture, observe society from multiple perspectives, and tell China's story well.