Huang Jiajia, founder and CEO of 51Talk, delivers a speech during the English public speaking contest in Beijing, on July 22, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn ]

After six months of competition and improvement, eight finalists won over the judges and earned the opportunity to attend a study tour in the UK. They are Xian Yunlin, Huang Jin, Jing Haiyuan and Liao Yinqin in the senior division, and four from the junior division – Li Zilin, Fan Yihan, Li Peiran and Xu Xuanyu.

Senior division champion Xian Yunlin made her speech about the role Chinese culture should play in an ever more globalized world. She employed the Chinese zodiac as an example that we need to preserve traditional cultural heritages while introducing them to the rest of the world.

Li Zilin, winner in the junior group, demonstrated the charm of Chinese shadow puppetry. Her interactive presentation proposed more possibilities for future heritage conservation and showcased the imagination of Chinese youth.