Chinese students win Anne of Green Gables trip

Two university students from China are on Prince Edward Island this week after winning an essay contest about Anne of Green Gables.

The contest, won by Cindy Huang and Jo Yinge, was part of a promotion of a new Mandarin publication of the iconic Lucy Maud Montgomery novel that was released in China earlier this year.

"I feel I'm the luckiest person in the world," said Huang.

"Just like the novel said, everybody is nice, and the environment is lovely."

The first printing of 20,000 copies has sold well, and included an introduction by Laureen Harper, wife of the Canadian prime minister, who was in China in February handing out copies.

"I think the book is wonderful," said Huang.

"Girls and boys should read the book. And Anne is a young girl with an optimistic attitude towards life."

The national essay contest was launched by Anne in China, the P.E.I. company behind the Mandarin translation.

"We conceived the project right at the beginning of the publication," said company president Duncan MacIntosh.

"We were thrilled with the number of participants and entrants. There were thousands and thousands."

Huang and Ying have been here touring the land of Anne since Saturday. On Monday they'll head home to Beijing and will be joined by MacIntosh, who is gearing up to release the second printing of Mandarin Anne.