Cancellation of the 2026 Chinese Writing Contest

I really wanted to have a successful Chinese Writing Contest this year. Unfortunately, I have to announce the cancellation of the 2026 Chinese Writing Contest.

Despite our extensive promotional efforts over the past several months, we received only four submissions by the September 16 deadline.

While each of these four entries represents immense effort, creative thought, and deep dedication to learning Chinese, four submissions are simply not enough to host a meaningful, competitive public vote on X or assemble a diverse anthology comparable to our previous published collections (https://mslmaster.com/index.php/chinese-textbooks/easy-to-read-series).

To our four participants: I want say, good job. Working within a strict 320-character limit is not that easy. Therefore, it is worth publishing some of their feedbacks they shared with me on their writing experience. 

Janine, a foreign language teacher in Trinidad and Tobago, shared: “After reading again, I noticed I used 朋友, which was not in the list. I didn't realise it at first, because it seemed like the most natural choice there, but it made me pay close attention to the revision process. It also gave me the chance to review some sentence structures to find alternative ways to express ideas, within the character limits. Writing brings me a sense of joy. It helps me to creatively express ideas. I welcome the challenge even more as I am writing in a foreign language.” 

Tiffany, a middle school student from Australia, shared: “This competition was a very challenging but also fun experience! The word limit was very challenging to follow but it helped me learn how to be more creative.” 

Paul, a writing hobbyist from the USA with his Substack and a few published articles, shared, “This piece was really fun to write up; the limitation on usable characters added an extra layer of challenge to the planning process. I reflected on my time as a kindergarten teacher, drawing inspiration from the silly conversations I had with students nearly every day. Kids have an ability to turn the mundane into the fantastical, always asking questions about commonplace things that adults have taken for granted. This short story was a stroll down memory lane, both in terms of the content and the language; each aspect represents an era from the past few years of my life.”

While cancelling the event is disappointing, it is by no means it is the end. 

We remain committed to providing a platform that celebrates genuine learning, original thinking, and creative expression for Chinese language learners worldwide. Sometimes, external circumstances and shifting priorities mean we must pause, reflect, and recalibrate our approach.

When we launch the next edition, we warmly invite our four contestants to re-submit their pieces—or share new ones—so their hard work and creative sparks get the spotlight they deserve.

Thank you to our partners for your generous and continued support. I hope people continue to read and write in the age of AI, and look forward to reading lots of submissions next time.