Han Rong's 6-year-old daughter holds a zongzi wrapped in a red box to support her elder brother in this year's gaokao exam. Photo: Chen Xia/GT

Dressed in a red qipao with a pattern of blooming peonies, Wang waited patiently at the gate of Shanghai Shixi High Middle school on Tuesday morning along with other parents, where her son was taking the first test of the ongoing national college entrance examination or gaokao, seen as a life changing opportunity for Chinese students around the country.

"I wanted to dress formally since this is a significant moment for my son and to wish him good luck," Wang told the Global Times joyfully, explaining that the qipao implies victory and blessing.

Police were also seen at the gate of the school in the neighborhood to maintain the district's social order and ensure that local traffic remained smooth.

After several consecutive days of rain in the city, Shanghai on Tuesday embraced pleasant weather that was neither cold nor hot, which was seen by parents waiting outside the site as a good sign helpful for the students.

"This is rare in Shanghai's rainy season, which indicates that everything will run smoothly," Han Rong, a mother of one student candidate, told the Global Times. 

Han's 6-year-old daughter was at the scene as well, holding a zongzi wrapped in a red box in her hand to show support for her elder brother. Han and her daughter wore red clothes to expect "open-door red," which is a common practice for Chinese families on the first day of family member's important tests.

But Han doesn't want to put too much pressure on her son. "Whatever my son's result is, we will support him. I only want him to enjoy the process," she said, adding that she wants her son to rest after the tests as he could only sleep around five hours a day in preparation for the test.

To avoid any surprising incidents on the day and ensure they wouldn't be late for the test, Wang Wei and her daughter stayed in a hotel close to the school the night before the exam.

"At this huge moment of my daughter's life, I hope she can calm down and do her best," she said. "A student's mindset is very important and being too nervous will be counterproductive," she added.

This year's gaokao is one month behind schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another parent, surnamed Chen, said she believed that the delay had brought added pressure to the young students, but it also allowed them extra time to prepare.

Chen told the Global Times that they checked the site five days before the examination and tested the traffic route to the site to prepare and ensure everything would run smoothly on the important day.

"I felt reassured as soon as I saw everything was set up well in the school. The signs are clear and the traffic in the neighborhood is well organized," Chen added. "I hope all children will be able to get a good score," Chen said.

Over 10.7 million students nationwide are expected to sit the gaokao exam this year. Shanghai alone has set up more than 100 examination sites across the city, with over 50,000 candidates planning to attend.

To avoid the transmission of COVID-19, all exam sites need to undergo disinfection before the tests, and be equipped with backup test rooms and checking rooms in case of any urgent matters.