Chongqing - The 2025 “FLTRP·ETIC Cup” “Understanding Contemporary China” International Communication Contest has unveiled a selection of exceptional short-video works from the Chongqing and Sichuan regional competitions, offering fresh and compelling narratives of a “Beautiful China” through the eyes of young creators.

A scene from the 2025 “FLTRP·ETIC Cup” "Understanding Contemporary China" International Communication Contest for Chongqing University students. (Photo/The Event Organizer)

Launched on March 22 and guided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Education, the national contest has been hosted annually by Beijing Foreign Studies University since 2023. This year’s event covers 11 languages and has attracted student participants from more than 1,300 institutions nationwide. With the theme “Understanding Contemporary China, Communicating with the World,” the contest aims to cultivate a new generation of foreign-language talents capable of telling China’s stories with authenticity and creativity.

The short-video category, featuring an English Division for Chinese university students and a Chinese Division for international students, encourages young creators to present people, places, and cultural moments through innovative digital storytelling. From campus trials to provincial rounds, a number of high-quality works with strong international communication potential have emerged. Among them, six productions from Sichuan and Chongqing stand out for their originality, emotional depth, and global appeal.

1. The Teapot Touch — Sichuan International Studies University (Chongqing)

Following the journey of a single stone from the mountains of Chongqing Xiushan, this video reveals how craftsmanship, rural revitalization, and youthful dedication intertwine. As artisans “turn stone into teapots” and villagers channel faith into progress, the story captures the quiet transformation of China’s countryside. Beautiful landscapes, community efforts, and the philosophy of “clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver” come together to illustrate what “Beautiful China” truly means at the grassroots level.

2. Guardians of Blue — Chongqing Three Gorges University (Chongqing)

Picking up nets instead of swords, river cleaners on the Yangtze become the unsung “knights” of today. Without dramatic battles or heroic fanfare, they defend the river’s purity day after day, ensuring the clarity that sustains millions of lives downstream. This video honors their quiet heroism and shows that true chivalry can be found not in legends, but along the riverbanks of ordinary days.

3. Rise Joint by Joint — Chongqing University (Chongqing)

Blending nostalgia with cultural reflection, this work traces the narrator’s childhood memories through bamboo weaving—a craft shaped by the wisdom and hands of their grandfather. The video explores bamboo not only as a material but as a metaphor for Chinese character: modest yet unyielding, upright yet ever-growing. As bamboo weaving finds new life in rural revitalization, the video connects personal memory with the broader spirit of an upward-striving, ever-renewing China.

4. Symbiosis — Sichuan University of Media and Communications (Sichuan)

"True art is a silent handshake between civilizations." “Symbiosis” is not just a visual feast, but also a love letter to boundless aesthetics — here, the essence of Bashu syncs with the pulse of the world, tradition and modernity complement each other, and you and I are all witnesses to this eternal dialogue.

5. Bronze Mask Awakening: A Glimpse into the Millennia — Sichuan University Jinjiang College (Sichuan)

Told from the perspective of “Lin Xia,” a bronze mask that awakens after 3,000 years, this video takes viewers on a journey across time. As Lin Xia witnesses China’s modern transformation, it also rediscovers the brilliance of Sanxingdui civilization through cutting-edge archaeological technology. The video showcases how cultural relics gain renewed life in the digital age, demonstrating that heritage is not a relic of the past, but a living dialogue with the present.

6. Phoenix from the Ashes: Beichuan’s New Chapter — Southwest University of Science and Technology (Sichuan)

This deeply emotional work recounts the rebirth of Beichuan, a place once marked by tragedy but now defined by resilience. Through the narrator’s decision to stay and build a new future rather than leave, the video celebrates the strength of the Qiang people, the determination of countless builders, and the belief that value does not lie in the distant horizon, but in the soil of rebirth beneath our feet. It is a powerful testament to hope retaking root.

Over the years, the “FLTRP·ETIC Cup” has established a robust ecosystem that connects foreign-language education, cultural expression, and international communication. Many past participants now serve in national ministries, media organizations, public institutions, and leading corporations—contributing to global engagement with professionalism and cultural confidence.

By uniting experts in foreign language studies, international communication, and higher education, the contest continues to nurture young talents who possess cultural depth, a global vision, and professional competence. Their works serve as bridges for dialogue among civilizations, adding new vitality to China’s efforts to engage the world with openness, sincerity, and creativity.