May the best speaker win | A Gallery from Here Now | RNZ National

Top students from secondary and tertiary institutions around the central North Island gather at Victoria University to compete for first place in a speech competition – in Chinese. It’s the annual 2015 Wellington Regional ‘Chinese Bridge’ Speech Competition and the day will include special cultural activities.

For Voices, Lynda Chanwai-Earle meets students from as far as Rotorua, Wanganui and Tauranga to see who has the gift of the bilingual gab.

Te Aro Primary School MLA Yue He, Olliver Kearns-Hill and Jackie Yan.

First prize to Jackie Yan of Te Aro Primary School.

Competition Judge Luo Hui awards Manraj Rahi his certificate of distinction.

Gurjit S.Rahi and his son Manraj S.Rahi Year 11 Scotts College Wellington.

Wellington East girls College competitors. Mika is second from left.

Mika wins a certificate of distinction.

Edward Smith from Victoria University wins second prize for the tertiary group.

Caleb Dunn wins first place for the tertiary group and the youngest university student.

First prize for Caleb Dunn: a trip to China.

Ross Dunn and Winner First Prize Caleb Dunn.

Competitors from Rotorua Boys High School with Chinese teacher Wendy Chen.

Certificate of distinction for Rotorua Boys' High School.

David Potts from Rotorua Boys' High School wins Second Prize for the Secondary group.

Wen Chin Powles gives prizes to students.

Schools from around North Island competing for nationals.

Winners across the North Island.

Prize giving at Victoria University.

Paper crafts during lunch break

Paper lanterns Chinese paper cutting.

Learning to write Chinese.

Dragonflies and flowers Chinese crafts during lunch break.

Dragonflies and flowers Chinese crafts during lunch break.

Dragonflies and flowers Chinese crafts during lunch break.

Mandarin Language Assistants demonstrate Chinese crafts at the Speech Competition.

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