Mothers in crimson dresses and fathers clutching umbrellas huddled together in drizzly Beijing after sending their children into an exam hall on Friday, the first day of China's biggest ever "gaokao" tests that will shape the futures of millions of high school kids.
The number of students taking this year's multi-subject gaokao series is set to be a record high, with the Ministry of Education saying that 13.42 million candidates have registered for the high-stakes tests.
