Dumplings, bianlian and Mandarin: Young Kiwis embrace language learning and cultural exchange

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Catherine Gallot, a Year 5 student at Henley School, won the primary division of the South Island Chinese Bridge competition in May after learning Mandarin for just three months.

A 10-year-old’s love of dumplings has led her to an unexpected passion for Chinese language and culture, making her one of the young faces of this year’s New Zealand Chinese Language Week.

Catherine Gallot, a Year 5 student at Henley School in Nelson, won the primary division of the South Island Chinese Bridge competition after learning Mandarin for just three months — and is now preparing to travel to China later this year for the international final.

Her interest began with a fascination for different cultures and cuisines.

Chinese Language Week runs from Monday, June 29 to Sunday, July 5, with a promotional poster displayed at Tūranga in Christchurch.

“When they brought this programme where they had Mandarin tutors come to the school, Catherine was desperate,” her mother Sam Gallot said. “She was like, ‘Please, I want to be in it’.”

Despite having no Chinese heritage or family connection to China, Catherine quickly embraced the language.

“I enjoy learning. I can say a little bit [of Chinese], but I can’t really have full conversations yet. I know some words, like ni hao and xie xie,” she said.

Catherine Gallot with her Chinese tutor Han Liu.

“She is a curious learner. We had about a month of solid training, especially on the tones and her dance performance. She used all her morning tea and lunch breaks to practise,” said her Chinese tutor Han Liu.

After just three months of learning Mandarin, Catherine won the junior division of the South Island competition, impressing judges with a two-and-a-half-minute speech in Chinese and a traditional Chinese dance performance.

Catherine said she is now looking forward to the international competition and her first trip to China. “I’m going to try all the food, especially the dumplings.”

After six years of studying Mandarin, University of Canterbury student George Baggott has won the tertiary section of the South Island Chinese Bridge competition.

Christchurch’s George Baggott is another young New Zealander being recognised during Chinese Language Week, named a Chinese Language Superstar.

After six years of studying Mandarin at St Thomas of Canterbury College in Sockburn, he is now considering majoring in Chinese at university.

“It’s one of the greatest experiences to learn a language,” said Baggott. “It’s really just a way to challenge yourself … with that comes so many friendships and so many opportunities.”

George Baggott performing bianlian, a Sichuan opera art form where performers switch brightly coloured masks almost instantly using fans, head movements or hand gestures.

He also learned bianlian, or face-changing, from his Chinese tutor. Baggott said he is one of only a few people in the South Island who can perform the ancient Sichuan opera art, where performers switch brightly coloured masks almost instantly using fans, head movements or hand gestures.

“We knew it was a top secret among the opera community. It’s not something openly taught or widely shared.”

He won the tertiary section of the South Island Chinese Bridge competition and is now looking forward to a trip to Chengdu in November.

Chinese Language Week runs from now until Sunday. The annual event has been held since 2014 and aims to encourage people to take up learning Chinese.

Each year, the New Zealand Chinese Language Week Trust produces learning resources, including trilingual children’s picture books and posters featuring practical phrases, and supports events and activities nationwide celebrating the language and culture.

Trust chair Jo Coughlan said promoting language learning was especially important as the number of Kiwis studying foreign languages has fallen to levels not seen since the 1930s.

“It’s fantastic to see the enthusiasm and joy young people have sharing their love of Chinese language and culture,” Coughlan said.

“Without the means to communicate clearly on the global stage, New Zealand is isolated.”

According to the Language Learning for New Zealand’s Future report released in 2025, nearly one in three secondary students studied a second language in 1933. At its peak in the 1960s, almost 40% did. Today, that figure has fallen to about one in five.