On the occasion of the International Day of the Chinese Language, a ceremonial event was held at the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammet Azady, organised by the university jointly with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Turkmenistan.
The Day of the Chinese Language was established by the UN in 2010 «to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, and to promote the equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organisation». The Day of the Chinese Language, celebrated annually on the 20th of April, was established in memory of Cang Jie, the legendary founder of the Chinese alphabet.
In honour of the Day of the Chinese Language, a large and bright celebration was held at the Turkmen institute, which widely reflected the antiquity, beauty and uniqueness of the Chinese language and culture, as well as the strengthening friendly Turkmen-Chinese relations and the rapidly developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of science and education.
A colourful exhibition dedicated to the rich Chinese culture was opened for the guests of the event at the university. It featured Chinese national costumes, paintings, books, and teaching aids telling about the history, language, literature, and cultural heritage of China.
As part of the event, a solemn ceremony was held to sum up the results of the oratory competition in Chinese, held among students of higher educational institutions of Turkmenistan and dedicated to the International Day of the Chinese Language.
The competition, dedicated to the theme «The whole world is one family», symbolised the commitment of our state to the principles of peace, friendship, respect and emphasised the high significance of the International Year of Peace and Trust, proclaimed by the UN on the initiative of Turkmenistan.
According to the results of the competition, Shirin Muhammetgurbanova, a 3rd-year student of the specialty pedagogical education (Chinese language, Turkmen language and literature) of the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammet Azady, won the first place.
The second place was shared by Sabina Shohratjanova, a 5th-year student of the specialty Chinese language and literature of the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly and Nigora Kurbanova, a 3rd-year student of the specialty pedagogical education (Chinese language and literature, Turkmen language and literature) of the Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute named after Seyitnazar Seydi.
Third place was taken by Soltan Nurmammedova, a 2nd-year student majoring in insurance at the International University of Humanities and Development, and Amandursun Geldimyradova, a 3rd-year student majoring in pedagogical education (Chinese language, Turkmen language and literature) at the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammet Azady.
The celebration at the country's language university was decorated with creative performances by student youth. Turkmen and Chinese national songs and dances were masterfully performed on stage, emphasising the high role of unity, mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples through the language of art.
