Millionaire takes China’s gaokao exam for 27th time, seeking university dream

In a sea of young students taking China’s rigorous “gaokao” college entrance exam on June 7, 56-year-old Liang Shi stands out as a grey-haired, self-made millionaire attempting the test for the 27th time. Liang has come a long way from working in a factory to founding a thriving construction materials business, but one ambition remains unfulfilled: achieving a high enough score on the challenging gaokao to study at the prestigious Sichuan University.

To prepare for the exam, Liang has lived “the life of an ascetic monk” for the past few months, rising shortly after dawn to study textbooks for 12 hours a day. “It’s an uncomfortable thought that I didn’t manage to get a college education,” Liang told AFP. “I really want to go to university and become an intellectual.”

Over the past four decades, the Sichuan native has taken the gaokao 26 times but has consistently failed to achieve the required result for his desired university. “They call me ‘the gaokao holdout’,” he said, embracing a mocking nickname given to him by local media.

A good gaokao result can determine one’s life trajectory, as a degree from an elite university offers respect, status, and better job opportunities. Liang first took the exam in 1983 when he was only 16. For the next decade, he tried to improve his score until 1992 when he had to stop, as the test was restricted to single people aged under 25 at the time. When those limits were lifted in 2001, Liang’s desire for a prestigious college education was reignited.

He has since taken the gaokao another 16 times, including every year since 2010, even when strict zero-COVID-19 restrictions made the exam more challenging than usual. Some online commentators have questioned whether his apparent obsession is simply a publicity stunt. “What for?” Liang retorted. “No one in their right mind would spend decades taking the gaokao for a stunt.” He noted that he had to give up drinking and playing mahjong during the preparation period.

Liang’s quest has received little support from his son, who took the gaokao himself in 2011. “At first he didn’t approve, and now, he’s just indifferent,” Liang said. When asked how he would celebrate once the test is over this weekend, he revealed plans to make up for the lost fun. “I’m going to play mahjong with my friends for three days and three nights.”