[The_Badger]

I had high hopes that the English team could win the Venice Cup this year, but I was really impressed how the Chinese team played. Well done China!

I believe it is only a matter of time before the Chinese Mens' Team will become serious contenders - making the top 3 - in the Bermuda Bowl. Perhaps even winning it.

I have to admit that the Chinese education system is far superior to many Western countries, with many children learning difficult mathematic techniques at a young age. Once China has access to the universal translation of bridge material (books, pamphlets, magazines, etc.) there will be a surge of bridge players in the People's Republic of China. Already we are seeing a new generation of younger bridge players taking up the game in China. I just wish the situation was the same in England.

[lycier]

Thank you very much.

Congratulations to China Women Team for winning the Venice Cup !

[gordontd]

 The_Badger, on 2017-August-26, 01:32, said:

I had high hopes that the English team could win the Venice Cup this year, but I was really impressed how the Chinese team played. Well done China!

I believe it is only a matter of time before the Chinese Mens' Team will become serious contenders - making the top 3 - in the Bermuda Bowl. Perhaps even winning it.

I have to admit that the Chinese education system is far superior to many Western countries, with many children learning difficult mathematic techniques at a young age. Once China has access to the universal translation of bridge material (books, pamphlets, magazines, etc.) there will be a surge of bridge players in the People's Republic of China. Already we are seeing a new generation of younger bridge players taking up the game in China. I just wish the situation was the same in England.

I spent one day directing the junior events in Lyon where more than half the players were Chinese, some very young, and I commented to my colleagues that on this evidence the future of bridge is with China. We should perhaps be trying to find out the reason for its success there and seeing what we can learn from it, rather than lamenting its decline in the West. Can any posters here (lycier?) tell us much about how bridge is organised in China? I'm thinking of teaching methods both in schools and among adults, club organisation, regional organisation and national events. Would be interested to hear anything that anyone can tell us.

Oh, and well done China!

Well done too to England, who although no doubt disappointed not to win must surely be very proud to have reached the final.

[yunling]

 gordontd, on 2017-August-26, 05:34, said:

I spent one day directing the junior events in Lyon where more than half the players were Chinese, some very young, and I commented to my colleagues that on this evidence the future of bridge is with China. We should perhaps be trying to find out the reason for its success there and seeing what we can learn from it, rather than lamenting its decline in the West. Can any posters here (lycier?) tell us much about how bridge is organised in China? I'm thinking of teaching methods both in schools and among adults, club organisation, regional organisation and national events. Would be interested to hear anything that anyone can tell us.

Oh, and well done China!

Well done too to England, who although no doubt disappointed not to win must surely be very proud to have reached the final.

I think that the development of youth bridge in China is more of a cultural thing. Chinese parents believe that mind games is a good way to improve children's intelligence development so it has been decades that Chinese are spending a lot of energy on it. But until a few years ago, bridge has not been a very popular game in China so not many are learning it. Most kids were playing weiqi(or "go" in the Japanese version of translation) or something like that then. These days some of them have turned to bridge(and also chess). Bridge teaching techniques in China borrowed a lot from them. Maybe you can get some good advice from a chess teacher:)
If there is any successful experience in Chinese bridge teaching, it should be the good use of internet(thanks to BBO! and many other good sites). Via that, many materials, especially top-player's experience, are flowing into China and many of them are translated. It is a good way to reduce the preconception of local teachers and greatly improves efficiency.

Bridge organisations in China is not unique at all. I think it is most similar to that in France. If there is anything different——most matches as well as teams are corporate-sponsored rather than personal-sponsored, which is the case for almost all sports in China. Thus a team name in spingold in Pan-China(the name of the corporation) instead of the more common surnames. Some years back employees in state-owned companies are encouraged to participate in the competition for the honour of the company, but it is less so these days. In fact China is learning from North America and encouraging native client players.

But I believe that "future of bridge is with China" is still a huge overbid. The young Chinese players you see in Lyon are all from rich families in big cities(it is only affordable to them), which cannot reflect the situation of most bridge players in China. As I have mentioned above, they learn bridge in their school years only as a tool and most of them drop bridge in their late 20s. Well anyway glad to see more people playing bridge.

btw, as a past Chinese junior team runner-up(2015), I played no more than 5 times in the local club this year. Job stress is a bit hard here:(
Though "it is said" prize of Chinese tournaments is high, Chinese bridge pros are earning 1/5 to 1/3 of the average European pros. Life is hard:(