Chinese songs contest for overseas Chinese held in London

LONDON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A singing contest of Chinese songs for overseas Chinese was held here on Sunday.

Organized by London Chinatown Chinese Association, the contest is part of the "Cultures of China Water Cube Cup" Chinese Songs Contest, a global activity designed to introduce Chinese culture and to tell Chinese stories to the world.

A total of 20 participants competed in the United Kindom division's final round. In the end, three front-runners from the youth group and the top three from the adult group, as well as the winner from the foreign-friends group, qualified for further competition at the global level.

Masayo Ono, a Chinese songs' lover, told Xinhua that she grew up in a Chinese-Japanese family. Although she had taken part in the Chinese speech competition in Japan before, it is her first time being part of the "Water Cube Cup."

"I love singing and love learning Chinese ... it was fun to learn one of my favourite songs in Chinese," said Stuart Boother, the winner of the foreign-friends group. His performance evoked an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Boother told Xinhua it was his second time competing in the contest, and he hoped to join the contest again next year.

Fascinated by Chinese culture, Boother said he went to China to learn Kungfu years ago and recently visited Guangzhou and Guilin in south China.

"Today was fantastic. I listened with a lot of happiness and excitement," MP Mark Logan told Xinhua. He regards music as one of the best ways to deepen cultural exchange.

The "Water Cube Cup," initiated in 2011, has attracted contestants around the world for more than a decade. It aims at strengthening the link between China and the world through the Chinese culture.