The event, taking place in Beijing from September 16 to 26, selects the best foreign students of the language for proficiency, culture, and talent tests. This marks the first time Portugal will have a participant in the primary education category.
Madalena, who attends Clara de Resende School Group in Porto and studies Mandarin at a private school in Vila do Conde, embraces the responsibility of representing her country with enthusiasm, albeit with some natural anxiety.
“There is a bit of anxiety, I feel the weight of the responsibility to represent Portugal, but I also think I’m going there to have fun and meet new people,” the young student stated, expressing that regardless of the outcome, the experience will already be unique.
Madalena will present a traditional Chinese dance in the talent segment
In the talent segment, Madalena will perform a traditional Chinese dance following an oral introduction in Mandarin before the jury.
In the weeks leading up to the trip, she divides her time between regular school, rehearsals, and consuming Chinese content, from films to digital applications.
“My talent is traditional Chinese dance. We have a presentation text, and then I perform the dance,” she said, adding that she also follows Mandarin audiovisual productions to reinforce her learning.
Between school responsibilities and moments of leisure, Madalena maintains a relaxed and even fun relationship with the language. At home, she sometimes responds in Chinese to her parents, who do not understand the language. With friends, she speaks Mandarin when she does not want to be understood by others.
“She speaks like the Chinese do,” said the teacher
At Boya Xue Tang School, located in the industrial area of Varziela and attended by about 80 students, Madalena’s progress is closely monitored by her teacher, Sara Shi, 63, who has been in Portugal for 13 years and founded the project after retirement.
“Madalena is a very intelligent student, learns quickly, and speaks like the Chinese do, but she can work harder because she has the ability to be even better,” said the teacher, who sees the contest as an opportunity to highlight the work developed.
The teacher also emphasizes that this will be the first time a Portuguese student participates in the primary education category of the contest, underscoring the feat’s symbolic importance.
“This contest is very important for Madalena and also for our school; we never had a student at this level, and it is a way to show the country’s quality of our students,” she stated.
The institution operates with the collaboration of the Association for the Development of the Chinese in Portugal, which provides the space and promotes cultural activities, such as Chinese New Year celebrations or dance performances, facilitating integration between Portuguese youth and Chinese descendants.
Madalena’s parents are “proud”
From the family side, Madalena’s mother recalls that her participation follows her national victories in 2023 and 2025, competitions held in Lisbon and organized by Chinese entities in Portugal.
“We are all very happy and very proud of Madalena because it is the first time a Portuguese Mandarin student will represent Portugal in primary education,” said Liliana Pires.
The parents worked in Macau and, during that period, passed on to their daughter an appreciation for Chinese culture and language, encouraging her to continue learning when they returned to Portugal.
“It is important to give children the opportunity to speak multiple languages; we live in a global world, and from the first hour, we supported Madalena’s interest in Mandarin,” added the mother, who will accompany her daughter to China.
Among dreams for the future, the young student reveals already defined ambitions, seeing Mandarin learning as a life tool.
“I think learning Mandarin is very important for the future and the world we live in. I would like to be a translator,” she stated, expressing her desire to further improve her fluency and writing and reading skills in Mandarin.
