"Chinese Language Charm": Hungarian Girl Varga Bonita's Journey to Study in China

Ever since she stepped into the Chinese language classroom at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School in Budapest, the fair-haired and blue-eyed Hungarian girl Varga Bonita has been captivated by this language with distinctive tones and beautiful form, forging an inseparable bond with China.

On July 17, 2023, four students from the school including Imre Tamara Lili, Varga Bonita, and Kral Boglarka Edina, were awarded the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship in Beijing, provided by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC). This award is dedicated to cultivating local Chinese language teachers and advanced talents with Chinese proficiency in various countries. This autumn, she and her classmates are set to study international Chinese language education and related majors as undergraduates at Capital Normal University in Beijing.

On July 17, 2023, four students from the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School, Imre Tamara Lili (center), Varga Bonita (left), and Kral Boglarka Edina (right), receive the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship offered by CLEC, in Beijing.

"I started learning Chinese at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School in first grade." Varga Bonita said. Established in September 2004, this bilingual school is the only public full-time school in the Central and Eastern European region that teaches in both Chinese and the local language.

Since first grade, she has been particularly fond of Chinese language classes, finding Chinese characters "interesting" and its tones "unique." At that time, the school had a Chinese reading competition, and while other students were hesitant, she bravely raised her hand to participate. "I learned some gestures from the teacher, performed a piece called 'Little White Rabbit,' and was praised for being smart, cute, and having good pronunciation."

On July 17, 2023, Varga Bonita delivers a speech at the event

Now, after twelve years of studying Chinese, she has achieved remarkable results. Last year, she passed the intermediate-level Chinese examination in Hungary with high scores, and obtained full marks in the oral test in the advanced-level Chinese examination. Additionally, she has also passed the HSK 4 and HSKK Intermediate tests.

"My dream is to become a translator or a Chinese language teacher," said Varga Bonita. In June of this year, she had her first experience of being a teacher. She participated in the "Fourth Pre-Service Training for Volunteer International Chinese Teachers in 2023," organized by CLEC and hosted by Capital Normal University, teaching Hungarian. During this process, her Chinese skills were once again improved.

Before the Spring Festival this year, she and her classmate Imre Tamara Lili, on behalf of all the students at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School, wrote to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, and received a reply from President Xi, encouraging them to visit China to explore and experience. "This is a tremendous encouragement for me and my classmates! We are very grateful to CLEC and Capital Normal University for giving us the opportunity to realize our dreams."

In July of this year, she participated in the "Chinese Bridge" summer camp for the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School, marking her second visit to China. During this trip, she not only experienced Chinese language classes and cultural lessons at Capital Normal University, but also visited Beijing and Henan, where she toured the Great Wall, Shaolin Temple, and Longmen Grottoes, among other places. "Chinese language classes and cultural lessons have been very helpful for us, and visiting Beijing and Henan has allowed us to understand Chinese history and culture, as well as experience the development of modern China," She expressed. In addition, she took a high-speed train for the first time and found it "very cool".

"I sincerely hope that the relationship between China and Hungary will continue to improve, and that more friends can come to Hungary or visit China," She noted. 

(Reporter Luo Haibing/Photo Li Guoqing)