One contestant reads a poem during the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania, May 12, 2018. The first Lithuania edition of Chinese Proficiency Competition "Chinese Bridge" for school students was held here on Saturday. (Xinhua/Guo Mingfang)

VILNIUS, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The first Lithuania edition of Chinese Proficiency Competition "Chinese Bridge" for school students was held here on Saturday.

Eleven contestants aged between 14 and 19 years old from Lithuanian capital city Vilnius, second largest city Kaunas and port city Klaipeda participated in the competition staged at Donelaicio Auditorium of Vilnius University.

Under the theme of "Learn Chinese, Double your world", the event was divided into three parts: a free speech in Chinese, a quiz on the knowledge about China and Chinese culture and talents show.

The competition was staged before a jury of five and the audience of about 200 people.

Joana Pocopkaite, a 17-year-old girl from Vilnius Jesuits Gymnasium, won the competition for high proficiency in Chinese language, and the second place was secured by Umberto Masi, a 19-year-old student from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Engineering Lyceum. They will later represent Lithuania at the finals in China.

"In spite of second place, I have secured the ticket to China for the finals and also got a chance to visit China. This makes me so happy and excited," Masi told Xinhua.

The international contest "Chinese Bridge," launched by China's Confucius Institute Headquarters in 2002, aims to encourage foreign students to learn Chinese.