Competition Terms

1. Eligibility

Entrants must be enrolled in Grade 9–12 at a school in mainland China during the 2026–27 academic year. International-school students are eligible. Each student may create one account and submit one essay total across all categories. A parent or guardian must consent to participation.

2. Entry window

Registration opens at 00:00 China Standard Time on 1 August 2026. Essays and any required payment proof must be received by 23:59 CST on 1 September 2026. Results are scheduled for 18:00 CST on 1 October 2026. The organiser may make reasonable schedule changes and will announce material changes through the website or registered email.

3. Fees and refunds

The fee is US$20 by Stripe card checkout or ¥$140 by verified Alipay/WeChat transfer. Fees are non-refundable after an essay is submitted. If the organiser cancels the competition, paid entrants will be offered a refund through the original method where practicable.

4. Submission

The essay must be written in English, contain 1,500–2,000 words excluding footnotes and bibliography, answer one official question, use Chicago Notes and Bibliography (17th edition), and be uploaded as an anonymous, text-searchable PDF no larger than 10 MB. The latest valid PDF received before the deadline is the version judged.

5. Integrity

Plagiarism, fabrication, undisclosed collaboration, purchased work, and generative AI use are prohibited. The organiser may request drafts, notes, source records, or a short authorship interview. An entry may be disqualified before or after results if authorship or eligibility cannot be reasonably verified.

6. Judging and awards

Judging decisions are final. Category prizes are awarded to the first-, second-, and third-ranked eligible essays in each category. Percentile distinctions are calculated within each category: top 10% High Distinction, top 30% Distinction, and top 50% Honor. A category prize and distinction may both apply to the same essay.

7. Intellectual property

Entrants retain copyright. By entering, the student and guardian permit Lattice to process and review the essay and to publish the student’s name, school, essay title, category, and award if selected. Publication of the complete essay requires separate permission.

8. Contact

Questions and formal notices should be sent to guanzhihao1221@163.com. The competition is organised by Zhiho Guan.