On November 27, the VII competition of artistic reading of Abai's poetry in Chinese, Kazakh, and Russian languages took place successfully in the Red Hall of the Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages. At the beginning of winter, a slight chill was felt in Almaty, but the warm atmosphere in the hall completely dispelled it. Students and faculty from the Abai Khan University, Kazakh National University, Almaty State Pedagogical University, and other universities participated in the competition, coming together for poetic intercultural communication.
The competition was officially opened with a speech by Tatiana Vladimirovna Serezhkina, the vice-rector of the Ablai Khan University. She noted that the spiritual power of Abai's poetry should not remain merely on paper—it should be embodied in the readings and dialogues of young people, gaining new life. In the mouths of youth, language is not just rules and grammar; it is a soft thread that connects cultures, strengthening mutual understanding and friendship.
The format of the competition involved duets. Participants presented Abai's works in various stage interpretations. Under the spotlight, Kazakh-Chinese pairs took turns to perform. Students from Kazakhstan recited Abai's poems in Chinese—confidently, rhythmically, and focused—demonstrating their efforts and respect for the Chinese language. Chinese students responded in Kazakh or Russian, adjusting their intonations, tempo, and sound to achieve a stable interlingual expression of meaning. Some teams used accompaniment on the guzheng (a musical instrument), creating a dialogue between music and poetry; others incorporated theatrical elements—stage movement, lighting changes, dialogues—transforming their performances into small compositional mini-plays. The interaction among participants was natural and coordinated: expressiveness of speech, stage presence, and overall mood harmoniously complemented each other, reflecting the results of intercultural cooperation.
After the performances, an awards ceremony took place. The first place was awarded to the team "New Voices of the Silk Road" (Kuanysh Fatima and Saya Sailyk). The second place went to the team "Young Hearts Reading Abai" (Saidakhmet Zhaniya and Aizogozhi Akhmet). The third place was shared by the teams "Poetry and Dream" (Bekmatova Zhanar and Fan Jiayu) and "Light of Abai" (Kanapiyauly Doskhan and Zhou Jingyuan). Additionally, fifteen duets received certificates of encouragement.
The artistic reading competition not only provided participants with a platform to showcase multilingual skills but also deepened cultural understanding through cooperation and dialogue. It once again proved that the power of cultural exchange arises primarily from simple, sincere communication among young people rather than just from large official events. By using poetry and language as a bridge, this event facilitated the development of cooperation between universities in China and Kazakhstan, provided valuable experience for multilingual education development, and laid the foundation for broader and more sustainable cultural interaction between the youth of both countries in the future.
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