On October 30th, 2023 Chinese Debate World Cup Elite School Invitational Tournament final and closing ceremony was held on the beach of Dadonghai Bay in Sanya, Hainan Province.
Travel in the world, stay in Sanya. After the intense group stage games and semi-finals lasting for two days, the final took place on the 30th. Peking University and Hainan University were the two teams that would compete for the championship. A fitful sea breeze brushed past the beach, ruffled the sponge find sand and kissed the calm sea. Warm sunlight shed its rays on the soft beach, on the stage, and meanwhile floated about on the blue waters, as if listening to the sea quietly unbosom itself, witnessing the fabulous performance of each contestant.
The contestants, from all over the world, came all the way and gathered in this beautiful city to gain a fascinating glimpse into the picturesque costal scenery. On the topic of the Beauty of Life lies in Transience or Eternity, contestants articulated their standpoints with both vividness and strength like the evening sea breeze, and also with sonorous words like surging waves hitting rocks. The meeting of brilliant minds and convergence of intriguing thoughts added spice and vigour to this tournament as if sea water were rolling up the snow-white spindrift and dashing off. The youthful voices reverberated in the heart of the audience and were lost in bursts of thunderous applause like white sprays hitting the beach and rocks.
The sea is boundless, as is the passion of people present. Since the commencement of the tournament, it has been in the limelight and sparked people’s interest in debate. During the final, the venue was packed with people and plenty of citizens came to watch the contest as well.
After a three-day head-to-head contest, Peking University won the championship, with Hainan University coming next. In the third place were The University of Malaya and The University of Sydney. Among all contestants, Xi Haoyang won the title “Best Debater”.
At the closing ceremony, Sheng Yongjun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sanya Municipal Committee and vice-mayor of Sanya municipal people’s government, noted that different ideas, just like egrets, were soaring into the air, in the hoping that each contestant, judge and distinguished guest could benefit hugely from this activity. He also expected that more students of elite schools could gather in this charming city on a regular basis, and deepen their understanding of Sanya’s history and culture while experiencing its luxuriant palms and golden beaches. Meanwhile, he hoped that this activity would provide an inspiration for the establishment of the free trade port, promote the foundation of a platform for the in-depth exchange of ideas among young talents throughout the world, infuse vigor to the development of the global tourist attraction and consolidation of its leading role in scientific and technological innovation and give a boost to the high-standard development of Sanya.
The tournament also gained widespread support. It was guided by Sanya Municipal People’s Government, co-sponsored by Sanya Municipal Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau, Organizing Committee of Chinese Debate World Cup and Beijing Xixi Culture Consulting Co., Ltd. It was also jointly hosted by Sanya Municipal Education Bureau
12 teams from domestic and overseas world-class institutions including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Sydney University, and National University of Singapore were invited to debate on the theme of “Youthful Voices Resonate with the World”. They shared their insightful views from a global perspective, which would would help promote cultural exchange and individual growth, and as a result paint a grand epic scroll filled with youthfulness and character of Sanya.
The organizing committee of Chinese Debate World Cup and the city of Sanya worked together and created a stage for thought exchange on a global scale and at the highest level, which offered an opportunity for the young to voice views from diverse perspectives and concurrently encouraged creative thinking. At the same time, the development of tourism would be integrated with its culture, thus deepening the innovative development of the city.
Although the tournament was brought to an end, the exciting moments of intense debate, the impressive performance of each contestant, and the enchanting scenery of this city would be engraved in all the people’s heart. The next meeting will surely be more memorable. We are looking forward to it.
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