SOFIA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- In celebration of International Chinese Language Day, 120 students from Bulgaria and China gathered online on Thursday to recite Chinese classics, bridging cultures through language and literature.

Children from Sofia and China's Ningbo city participated in the event from two locations - the China Cultural Center in the Bulgarian capital and the Yinzhou Wuxiang Central Primary School in Ningbo's Yinzhou District. Connected via livestream, the students took turns reading the Three-Character Classic, one of China's most revered ancient texts for early childhood education.

Held under the theme "Chinese Characters, Bonding Hearts; Classics, Spreading Affection," the event also featured cross-cultural dialogues inspired by the values and lessons embedded in the text. The event was co-organized by the China Cultural Center in Sofia and the relevant departments of Yinzhou District.

Children from the British School of Sofia (BSS), aged seven to eight, were among the participants. Gulser Fehmi, a coordinator at BSS, told Xinhua the event was a rare and valuable opportunity for students to experience Chinese culture firsthand.

BSS, with students from more than 40 nationalities, aims to nurture global citizens who embrace diversity and respect different languages and cultures, she said.

The United Nation's Language Days, introduced in 2010, promote multilingualism and cultural diversity, ensuring the equal use of the six official UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Chinese Language Day is celebrated on April 20. ■