MADRID, June 13 (Xinhua) -- For 17-year-old Sofia Parra, who is from Almeria in southern Spain and the champion of Spain's secondary school division at this year's Chinese Bridge final in May, the journey to study Chinese started not in a lecture hall, but in front of a screen.

"There is no Confucius Institute in my city," Parra told Xinhua on Saturday. "So I started learning Chinese by myself when I was 15."

Using online platforms including Bilibili, she spent the past two years studying Chinese as she regards it as "a really beautiful language."

"And Chinese people are always so kind and welcoming. When I speak Chinese with them, they are really happy and encouraging," she said.

Parra is preparing for the international finals to be held in China this summer as she will represent Spain at the international gala. She told Xinhua that she hopes to attend a Chinese university someday in the future, with Peking University and Shanghai Jiaotong University at the top of her wish list.

For Maria Lopez, winner of the university division at this year's Chinese Bridge final in Spain, she began learning Chinese four years ago out of pure curiosity.

"I didn't really have a special reason," she said. "I was just curious and decided to try it, and now I'm really glad that I did."

A female Chinese friend, who is originally from China's Hunan Province, has proved to be her greatest asset, as the friend took Lopez to visit her hometown twice, offering an immersive introduction to Chinese village life and culture.

"At first I couldn't handle spicy food at all," Lopez said. "But after staying in her village for 20 days, I survived eating spicy food every day, and now I love it."

Just like Parra, Lopez told Xinhua that she is also preparing for the international finals of the Chinese Bridge in China this summer, and plans to pursue further studies in China thereafter.

This year's contest in Spain, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Spain, brought together students from different age groups across the country. Contestants participated in speech competitions, cultural knowledge quizzes and talent performances featuring Chinese songs, calligraphy, martial arts and dance.

The Chinese Bridge competition, organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under China's Ministry of Education, is one of the world's most influential international Chinese language contests. ■