Suzhou students walk through ‘door to adulthood’
(ec.js.edu.cn) Updated：2017-02-16
Students from Suzhou High School Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University take part in a coming-of-age ceremony and walk through a “door to adulthood” on Feb 12. [Photo/jschina.com.cn]
While most students in China went back school on Feb 12, a group of students in Suzhou, Jiangsu province made that day more meaningful and memorable by taking part in a coming-of-age ceremony.
Some 380 grade-three students from the local Xi’an Jiaotong University-affiliated high school attended the ceremony, during which they walked through a “door to adulthood” and hugged their parents, teachers and friends, to represent their entry into adult life.
A school tradition, the ceremony is usually held at the beginning of the spring semester to help students prepare themselves, both mentally and physically, to sit the national college entrance exam, the gaokao, which takes place 100 days later.
Teachers and parents extend their wishes for the students during a coming-of-age ceremony held in Suzhou city, Jiangsu province on Feb 12. [Photo/xjdszfz.com]
Video clips recording the students’ unforgettable memories from campus life were screened before the ceremony. They also received congratulations from their teachers and parents.
The students were also given an inspiring talk by special guest Qian Mindan, a survivor of Lou Gehrig’s disease who is famous across China for her brave battle against the degenerative condition. The students, moved by her strong will to make the impossible possible, were eager to set targets for the new term.
A special guest Qian Mindan shares her experiences on fighting against diseases during a coming-of-age ceremony held in Suzhou on Feb 12, to encourage the students and help them set goals. [Photo/xjdszfz.com]
