LIMA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The seventh Congress of Confucius Institutes in Latin America was held here from Friday to Saturday to map out a growth strategy for the next five to 10 years.

The network of institutes, which promote the learning of Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture, also aims to adopt the latest academic tools and methods, boost creativity, adapt the syllabus to each country and spur cooperation.

"The region's Confucius Institutes receive a lot of support from the (Latin American) governments, and are well-received by locals," Chinese Ambassador to Peru Jia Guide said at the opening of the conference.

"Not only do they comprise the educational basis for teaching Chinese (as a foreign language), but they also serve as an important bridge for cultural exchanges between China and Latin America," Jia said.

Latin America's first Confucius Institute opened in Mexico in 2006, and was followed by a second in Peru in 2009. Both countries, like China, are cradles of millenary civilizations.

The institutes organize an annual Chinese proficiency contest called Chinese Bridge that showcases the talents of Latin American youths that excel at learning Mandarin as a way to develop a greater understanding of Chinese culture.

Marcial Rubio Correa, rector of Peru's Pontifical Catholic University (PUCP), told the gathering:" The university's Confucius Institute has intensely promoted the development of Chinese teaching through various programs for children, adolescents and adults, as well as the organization of numerous cultural events, which have led to greater knowledge about all aspects of China."

The PUCP and Shanghai International Studies University jointly organized the congress.

Peru is home to several Confucius Institutes, in addition to the one at the PUCP, including one at the Ricardo Palma University in Lima, which offers a degree in Chinese translation and interpretation, and others at the University of Piura and the University of Santa Maria de Arequipa.

The institutes also teach Chinese in schools. More than 5,500 Peruvian students are enrolled in Chinese language classes.