CHANGSHA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- To encourage young people from across the world to study Chinese and strengthen their understanding of Chinese language and culture, the 11th Chinese Bridge opened Monday evening in central China's Hunan province.

With the theme of "My Chinese Dream," 117 top college students from 70 countries will showcase their Chinese language capacities, knowledge of Chinese culture and talents during the competition that will run for over 20 days in Changsha, provincial capital of Hunan.

Maximilian Christopher Sleighparrott, a student from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London as well as a participant in the competition, said he has been studying Chinese for six years.

"Although my grandmother is from Hong Kong, I only knew a few simple Cantonese words until I was 16. But now, I have created some Chinese songs, and my dream is to develop myself in China's entertainment field," said Sleighparrott, who said his Chinese name is Liang Yuexin.

Chinese Bridge -- Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, sponsored by China's Hanban / Confucius Institute Headquarters, has been held annually since 2002.

The competition has provided a platform for foreign students in the world to exchange their experiences in learning Chinese, and it has helped students find an effective way to learn about Chinese society and culture.

Nearly 150,000 college students from across the world have participated in preliminary, semi-finals and finals competitions in various countries over the past 10 years.