Participants perform during the Chinese singing contest "Rose Melodies" in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 12, 2025. This year's United Nations Chinese Language Day was celebrated in Bulgaria on Saturday alongside the sixth edition of the Chinese singing contest "Rose Melodies." [Photo/Xinhua]

This year's United Nations Chinese Language Day was celebrated in Bulgaria on Saturday alongside the sixth edition of the Chinese singing contest "Rose Melodies."

Organized by the Confucius Institute in Sofia, the event brought together 15 solo performers and nine group acts from across the country.

Eighteen-year-old Kalina Momchilova from Sofia took first place in the individual category, while the teen quartet "Scarlet Sorghum" from the town of Stara Zagora won the group category.

Momchilova shared that she began studying Chinese at the age of 14, and her passion for the language has only deepened over time. "My interest in the people, the culture-absolutely every part of Chinese life-has grown significantly," she said.

Guan Xin, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Sofia, said the singing performances not only captured the melody of the Chinese language but also conveyed the emotions of the Chinese people, highlighting the deep cultural resonance between the two nations.

Chen Ying, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, and Aksiniya Koleva, the Bulgarian director, emphasized that UN Chinese Language Day is dedicated to celebrating the language as a bridge between peoples and cultures, with the song contest serving as a natural extension of that mission.