BEIJING: A young woman from southeastern China who once posed with her father outside Tsinghua University as a child has fulfilled a long-held dream by graduating from the elite Beijing institution.
Wu Han, from Guangdong province, recently drew widespread attention on mainland social media after sharing two photos taken 17 years apart. In June, she received a master’s degree from Tsinghua University’s Academy of Arts and Design.
Widely regarded as one of mainland China’s most prestigious universities, the 115-year-old institution has produced generations of prominent figures, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, space scientist Qian Xuesen and linguist Ji Xianlin.
According to mainland outlet Ziniu News, Wu first visited Tsinghua with her father during a trip to Beijing in 2009, when she was nine.
Her father, who had long regretted missing out on his own Tsinghua dream, took a photo with her at the university gate. In the image, his daughter is on his back, flashing a victory sign.
A fine arts graduate admitted to the Chinese painting department of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1993, Wu’s father had once hoped to study at Tsinghua.
With his help, Wu began painting in kindergarten, though she initially saw it only as a hobby. Aware of the tough path to becoming a painter, her father hoped she would move towards design instead.
Wu studied science in secondary school before switching tracks to sit China’s art gaokao, a specialised college entrance route combining academic exams with professional art tests for candidates in fields such as fine arts, music and dance.
Her journey was far from smooth. Wu failed the gaokao after her artwork deviated from the assigned theme, prompting her to repeat the year.
The following year, Wu was finally admitted to Tsinghua. Her father said the Academy of Arts and Design had accepted only 13 students from Guangdong that year.
As an undergraduate, Wu earned a recommendation for postgraduate study and stayed at Tsinghua for her master’s degree.
After her graduation ceremony, she asked her father to recreate their childhood photo. Wearing Tsinghua’s purple academic gown, she climbed onto his back at the same campus gate, in the same pose.
Wu said the two photos made her feel that “destiny will guide you to the place you want to go”.
Her father said his daughter had felt light 17 years ago, but now felt heavy. “It turns out the child has grown up, and I have grown old,” he said.
He added that he hoped Wu would go further in design and the internet industry, and that one day his grandchildren might also attend Tsinghua.
The photos have garnered more than one million likes online.
One netizen remarked: “The father’s gaze is so resolute. He can barely carry his daughter now, but love makes him fearless.”
Another person quipped: “So that is why I didn’t get into Tsinghua – my dad never took me to pose at the gate.” - South China Morning Post
