The city of Harbin, in Heilongjiang province held its English Drama “Amway Cup” Contest, on June 13, attracting many college students to the capital city. It is the province’s largest English drama competition ever which gives the younger generation experience with classical English works to enrich their extracurricular life.


Ukrainian students from Harbin Engineering University in “Pull Up the Turnip”, adapted from a Russian tale, on June 13. [Photo by Zhao Tianhua / China Daily]

Sponsors of the event were China Daily, the provincial publicity office, and the US’s Amway Corporation, a global leader in health, beauty and an outstanding business opportunity for Independent Business Owners.

The final competition had eight teams taking part from Heilongjiang International University, Harbin Normal University, Harbin Institute of Petroleum, Northeast Forestry University, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin University, Heilongjiang University, and Harbin Engineering University.


Harbin Normal University’s “Desire Under the Elms” taking first prize, on June 13. [Photo by Zhao Tianhua / China Daily]

Two of the eight consisted of overseas students, with one team from Heilongjiang University comprised of students from Ukraine, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Poland, and Hungary presenting “The Merchant of Venice”, a Shakespeare classic, and the other from Harbin Engineering University, all Ukrainians, providing “Pull Up the Turnip”, a Russian tale that blends classical Ukrainian songs and dances.

Another interesting show came from Chinese students at Northeast Agricultural University, also a Shakespeare classic, “The Taming of the Shrew”, with the setting cleverly moved from the European Renaissance to the early Republic of China, with traditional Chinese costumes and actions that drew a lot of laughter.

But, it was Harbin Normal University’s offering of “Desire Under the Elms”, a famous Eugene O'neill drama, that took first prize, with only two actors but excellent English.


Contestants up on stage, on June 13 [Photo by Zhao Tianhua / China Daily]

The judges were both foreign and Chinese drama experts, about which Zhang Mei, deputy director of Amway’s Heilongjiang office, spoke and pointed to the significance this type of contest, adding that the company will make the contest permanent by cooperating with China Daily, and will provide internships to the college students.


Award winners of the English drama contest, on June 13. [Photo by Zhao Tianhua / China Daily]

The Harbin Wanda Realm Hotel, site of the contest, said it will provide more opportunities like this one for university students, and Wang Wei, vice-director of China Daily Circulation, announced the opening of a Heilongjiang university English drama association, while encouraging more students to join it. All the award winners and their university departments received copies of China Daily newspaper, China’s most authoritative English language newspaper.