A singing contest of Chinese songs for overseas Chinese was held Saturday in Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic.

Organized by the Prague Chinese International School, the contest is part of the "Water Cube Cup" Chinese Songs Singing Competition, a global activity designed to promote Chinese culture and tell Chinese stories to the world.

It's the first time such a competition was held in the Czech Republic. A total of 12 participants joined the final district-level contest among adult and youth groups.

Zhou Yini and Li Jue took first and second places in the youth group category, and Du Jie was first in the adult group. The three winners will go to Beijing later to participate in the final.

Wu Guang, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, called the contest a bridge between overseas Chinese and their motherland. The diplomat encouraged overseas Chinese to act as envoys for cultural promotion and exchanges.

Initiated in 2011, the "Water Cube Cup" Chinese Songs Singing Competition has been held in more than 20 countries and attracted hundreds of participants around the world.