Participants deliver speeches at the 2015 "Shared Joy in Jiangsu" Chinese Speaking Contest for Foreigners. [Photo/jschina.com.cn]

East China's Jiangsu province is inviting foreigners living in the province to share their stories about life in China as the annual "Shared Joy in Jiangsu" Chinese Speaking Contest for Foreigners gets underway.

The contest has the full support of the Jiangsu provincial government, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education and the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation.

Themed "Happy Jiangsu, Happy Chinese", the contest encourages foreign friends to speak on various topics, such as My Jiangsu Story and My China Dream, to show their love for China and its culture, and demonstrate the appeal of integrating eastern and western cultures.

The first stage of the contest – an online audition starting from March to April 25 – invites interested foreigners to register with a mobile video of two to three minutes in Chinese, introducing themselves and their Chinese connections.

The entrants will be selected from their videos, and judges will also conduct phone interviews with them for further consideration.

The 60 chosen contestants announced on May 1 will have plenty of time to prepare their speeches as the elimination stage will be held in the province's southern, central and northern parts, represented by Wuxi, Nanjing and Xuzhou respectively, from May 20 to early June.

The finals will be filmed in Mid-June at the grand theater of Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation. Winners will be awarded prizes and certificates for their achievements, and have the chance to delve more into Jiangsu culture by taking part in the series of activities "Jiangsu through Foreigners' Eyes".

Interested foreigners can sign up at the official website of http://gjzx.jschina.com.cn/20633/2017speech/, via the official WeChat account at "tongleJS", or by email to jswx@jschina.com.cn. University students can also register at their schools' international education colleges.

The "Shared Joy in Jiangsu" Chinese Speaking Contest for Foreigners has been successfully carried out for four years. As part of the "Shared Joy in Jiangsu" series which also features talent shows, music festivals and cultural trips, it helps promote the province's diversification and internationalization.

QR code for WeChat registration [Photo/jschina.com.cn]