A middle school in Jiaozuo, Central China's Henan Province holds a grand ceremony to boost morale for senior high school students on June 6, 2024, ahead of the annual national college entrance examination, or gaokao. According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 13.42 million students have registered for this year's gaokao, an increase of 510,000 students from 2023. Photo: VCG