The 2009 National College Entrance Examination (Gao Kao) will take place this weekend (7-9 June). The news reported that parents are now busy looking for hotel rooms for their young candidates during this special period of time.

Gao Kao is the most important exam in China and also perceived as a turning point in a person’s life in China for a long time. It used to have a saying in China: Gao Kao can determine a person’s destiny.

So every year, 7-9 June (before was 7-9 July. The date was changed due to the hot weather in July) becomes one of the most important 3 days for most Chinese families.

In big cities like Shanghai, the students might need to take the examinations in a school far away from their homes. So it is impossible for them to go home during the lunch break. In order to give their children a relaxing and quiet space during the break, most of the parents will book a room in the hotel near the test venue.

So during this period of time, hotels near high schools are always very busy. To meet the customers’ needs, some hotels provide a type of room called Gao Kao Room which usually charge half price of the original daily rate for 9am - 6pm half day use.

The government also proposed some initiatives to give the candidates a better enviornment, such as traffic control, noise control during this time.

So if you have any plan to travel during this time, try to plan your travel earlier or avoid this period of the time.

For example, taxi in the mornings of 7-9 June will be extremely hard to get as most will be booked by the parents. If you do need to go out, book a taxi in advance or try to take other public transportation such as bus or Metro.

Tags: Education in Shanghai

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