Senior students at a high school in Taiyuan, North China's Shanxi Province leave school and receive encouragement from schoolmates on June 6, 2023, a day before gaokao. Photos: VCG

Over the last few days, China has been experiencing a major event that involves the whole society - the national college entrance examinations, commonly known as gaokao. This year, the number of candidates sitting for the exam has reached a historic high of 12.91 million. As students' gaokao results are the only criteria for admission to universities and Chinese students only get one shot that "decides their destiny," Chinese people compare the gaokao to "thousands of people crossing a narrow bridge." After more than 10 years of diligent study, these candidates are embarking on a new journey to pursue their life's goals.

According to information released by the Ministry of Education, there are a total of 7,726 examination centers, 345,000 regular examination rooms, and 26,000 backup examination rooms across the country set aside for the gaokao this year. Approximately 1.013 million invigilators have also been recruited for the exam. 

Special provisions have been made for disabled candidates to participate in the gaokao, including the production of Braille test papers for blind candidates in 11 provinces. Nationwide, over 10,000 disabled candidates have been provided with reasonable conveniences and assistance according to their needs.

The gaokao is not only an individual matter for students but also a significant event for the entire family. 

Outside the examination sites, many mothers who come to see their children off are dressed in various styles of qipao, a traditional Chinese dress, which symbolizes hope for a victorious outcome. After seeing their children enter the examination sites, these meticulously dressed mothers turn their "nervous waiting" into "composed relaxation" by taking selfies together.

To ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of the gaokao, police officers, urban management officers, and volunteers are diligently performing various service tasks. At each examination center, police strengthen traffic guidance to ensure smooth flow around the testing centers. 

Higher education in China has entered a stage of popularization, with admission rates consistently above 80 percent in recent years. For the vast majority of candidates, attending university is no longer a dream. However, the competition for prestigious universities, which are at the top of the ivory tower, remains fierce.

This year, several universities have already announced plans to expand enrollment. For example, Nanjing University will increase its undergraduate enrollment to 3,930 students in 2023, with the total enrollment plan continuing to grow. Xi'an Jiaotong University will expand its enrollment plan to 6,100 students this year.

Experts say that some newly added majors are closely related to cutting-edge scientific and technological developments and popular fields in the economy and society, making them likely to be favored by candidates.

For instance, the Dalian University of Technology established the Future Technology College this year, offering two new majors: Artificial Intelligence (Future Technology Class) and Artificial Intelligence (Innovation Class). Both majors are open for the first year.

Xi'an Jiaotong University has also launched the Medical Engineering major this year to provide necessary talent support for the country's high-end medical equipment development.

Peking University and Nanjing University have both added a Planetary Science major this year. Peking University's curriculum focuses on the study of the origin and early evolution of the solar system, as well as organic matter and evolution of planetary systems.

Regardless of which university the current candidates will be admitted to and which field of study they pursue, they will first enjoy a two-month relaxation period and meaningful holidays.

Global Times

Before gaokao, students in No.1 Middle School of Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province write down their wishes on June 5, 2023.

Mothers wearing qipao pose together outside an exam center in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province on June 7, 2023.

Students seize the last minute before gaokao in Yantai, East China's Shandong Province in the morning of June 7, 2023.

Students run out of the exam center after the first exam of gaokao in Anyang, Central China's Henan Province on June 7, 2023.