LONDON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming on Tuesday said that learning the Chinese language brings several opportunities.

Liu made the remarks at the launch of the Confucius classroom at Mid Yell Junior High School, Shetland Islands.

He said that there are 29 Confucius institutes acrossBritainand in 2017 alone, these institutes and Confucius classrooms enrolled 160,000 students, hosted 4,074 cultural events and drew over 1 million visitors and participants.

"From the south to the north, I see strong and growing enthusiasm from British students in learning Chinese," he said. "That is why the distance betweenChinaandBritain, the barriers of mountains and seas, cannot stop the Chinese language from reaching every corner ofBritain."

Liu said by learning the Chinese language, British speakers will be able to appreciate the charm of Chinese culture.

"The Chinese language gives you the key to unlock the rich heritage of the Chinese civilization," he said.

"The magic wand of the Chinese language will also unveil before your eyes the opportunities thatChinahas to offer," Liu added.

"I also hope you will use the magic wand of the Chinese language to see the complete picture of the realChinaand become an envoy for China-UK friendship," he told the gathering.