'Earthquake baby' admitted to prestigious Chinese university

Lang Zheng, the baby who became famous after being rescued following the Sichuan earthquake 15 years ago, scored 637 out of 750 on the Gaokao ( national college entrance examination) and received offers from two top universities.

Lang Zheng's individual subject scores were: Literature 129 points, Mathematics 126 points, English 143 points, and Social Sciences (Geography, History, Politics ) 239 points. This result placed Lang in the top 30 highest-scoring college entrance exam candidates in Sichuan Province.

Chinese media outlets reported that Lang received admission offers from Peking University and Renmin University of China. These are two prestigious universities with very strict admission criteria. Peking University is also among the top 20 universities in the world and ranks second in Asia.

"I was very surprised. I didn't think I would do so well," Lang said about his score.

Lang Zheng in a famous photo from May 2008 (left) and on the day of the Gaokao exam in June 2023 (right). Photo: People's Daily

Lang Zheng moved people across China when a photo of him taken after the 8-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province 15 years ago went viral. That disaster left 87,000 people dead or missing.

Lang, then only 3 years old, was trapped in the rubble for nearly 20 hours, his left hand injured. When he was discovered and rescued by a group of soldiers, he raised his right hand in a salute gesture as a thank you. From then on, Lang was nicknamed "the boy who salutes the flag."

Lang Zheng is currently 1.85 meters tall, enjoys playing basketball, and is passionate about Literature, History, and Politics. The student says he will pursue a degree in History and International Relations at Peking University.

"I plan to become a civil servant or work in similar fields in the future, serving the people, so as not to disappoint the many people who have shown concern and helped me," Lang said.

Lang Zheng. Photo: China Radio (CNR)

This year's college entrance examination (Gaokao) in China began on June 7th, setting a record with nearly 13 million students participating. Candidates must complete four exams: Chinese Language and Literature, a Foreign Language, Mathematics, and a combined exam in either Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) or Social Sciences (Geography, History, Politics).

The maximum score for the exam is 750. Typically, to secure a place at top universities, candidates need to score over 600 points. However, the number of candidates who achieve that score is not large. In 2021, only 3% of candidates in Guangdong, China's most populous province, scored above 600 points.

Doan Hung (According to China Daily, Sinchew)

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