A father and son in China took the national university entrance exam together and were accepted into their desired universities, surprising many online.
Eighteen-year-old Liu Aohan made his family proud after being accepted into the Future Aerospace Leadership Programme at Beijing's Beihang University, one of the world's top aerospace engineering universities.
He scored 625 out of 750 points in the science section of the gaokao, China's main college entrance exam, held in northwest China's Qinghai Province, ranking 64th.
His father, Liu Jianbo (47 years old), also took the gaokao in the same year.
He scored 454 out of a possible 750 in the humanities department, qualifying him to major in business administration at Guangxi Normal University in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Liu started studying with his son when he was in the second year of junior high school.
A father and son proudly show off their college applications. Photo: Sina
When young Liu became obsessed with gaming and his grades suffered as a result, his father beat him, but he soon regretted it.
To set a good example, he decided to become his son's study partner.
His decision coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced classes to move online so the two could study together from home when Liu wasn't working.
Since then, Liu has been achieving top grades in his class.
“My father is my role model. His attitude towards studies was better than mine,” he said.
What began as a way to encourage his son soon inspired Liu to start studying on his own.
Liu, an administrator for the local railway, said he had long dreamed of going to university but his family couldn't make it happen.
Although he achieved the top score in his prefecture in the high school entrance exam, he went on to a vocational school and started working immediately after graduation to support his family.
Liu said she was good at Mandarin and her son was good at maths, and they helped each other improve their grades.
He said he is more proud of his son's achievements than his own.
A joint effort: two generations sit at their desks and study hard. Photo: Sina
Liu worked in a so-called “iron rice bowl job” at a state-owned enterprise and was said to be enjoying a stable income and comprehensive social security benefits, but while he harbored dreams, he struggled with reality.
He applied for a leave of absence but was turned down by his company. Liu said he plans to seek permission from his university to study in his free time.
Liu told Hongxing News that his first job as a father is to financially support his son's studies.
He said he may give up the opportunity, but he won't give up on his dreams. He plans to take the university entrance exam again next year, or after he retires. He also plans to get a master's degree.
“There's a lot to learn. It's not time to be 'calm' yet,” he said.
