No phone, no tutors, 20 yuan a week—How this student topped China's gaokao with 699 out of 750

CHINA: An 18-year-old girl from a disadvantaged rural family in China’s Henan province has topped this year’s gaokao with a score of 699 out of 750, earning offers from both Tsinghua University and Peking University, and sparking a nationwide conversation about hard work, privilege, and what it takes to change your circumstances in modern China.

Han Yaping’s achievement would be remarkable in any context. Against the backdrop of her family’s circumstances, it is truly an extraordinary feat.

A family held together by determination

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Han’s mother suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine, which has left her unable to work. Her father supports the family through farming and odd jobs, and also cares for Han’s younger sister. The family had so little to spare that her weekly pocket money ranged from just 10 to 20 yuan (S$1.9 to S$3.8), and Han routinely returned what she hadn’t spent when she came home.

Her school recognised her circumstances and stepped in, waiving her tuition fees, providing free accommodation, and offering a monthly allowance. But beyond that institutional support, Han had none of the advantages that have become almost standard for competitive gaokao students in China; she had no extracurricular tutors, and, notably, no mobile phone.

When asked what advice she would offer other students, Han’s response was blunt: “If you do not study hard now, you might struggle in the future.” According to SCMP, she suggested that many young people’s preoccupation with their phones distracts them from their studies.

Livestreamers descended

Han’s score set off a wave of attention that arrived at her family’s doorstep in the form of livestreamers, many of whom came seeking exposure through her newfound fame, while others extended offers to donate funds for her education.

Han declined all of it. She expressed gratitude for the offers but said she wanted to rely on her own efforts, and mentioned her intention to work part-time while studying. The universities themselves have reportedly offered financial aid as part of efforts to persuade her to enrol.

Her walls, meanwhile, tell their own story; they were covered in award certificates accumulated over years of academic dedication, which is a quiet testament to what she has been building toward long before the gaokao made her famous.

Medicine or engineering

Han is torn between pursuing medicine and engineering. Her mother’s health condition has made medicine a deeply personal calling. Medical professionals have reached out online to offer guidance to help her make the decision.

Whatever she chooses, Han has been clear about her motivation. “I believe knowledge can change lives. I am determined to improve my family’s situation and provide my parents with a better life through education,” she was quoted as saying by SCMP.

Netizens react

Han’s story drew an outpouring of responses online, with reactions ranging from warm admiration to more searching questions about what her achievement actually reveals about the system she succeeded within.

Many focused on the personal triumph. “The Gaokao is a brutal test and studying for it is incredibly stressful for young Chinese students, but this shows the positive side of it. It’s probably the most fair way of giving out university acceptances to such a huge country. I wish this young woman well in the future,” one commenter wrote.

Others kept their messages simple and heartfelt. “More power to you, little girl. Congrats, wish you all the best in life,” one user said, while another added, “That’s an incredible score and she obviously worked extremely hard!”

Some used Han’s story as a moment of personal reflection. “Given how privileged my upbringing was, I often think about how many poor children out there never got the chance to show their potential,” one commenter wrote, reframing Han’s story from one of individual triumph to one of systemic inequality.

That thread was picked up more pointedly by a sceptical commenter who pushed back against the narrative entirely. “One poor person passes and it’s national news. Nobody bothered to consider if the test is designed for the poor to fail,” they wrote. This comment cuts to the core tension the story raises without resolving: whether a system that produces one Han Yaping for every thousand students who never got the same chance to study, the same school support, or the same quiet determination deserves to be celebrated or scrutinised.

In a country where the gaokao is widely viewed as one of the few genuinely equalising forces available to students from underprivileged backgrounds, Han’s story has landed with particular force, not just as an inspiring individual achievement, but as a reminder of what the exam still represents for millions of families for whom it remains the most tangible path to a different life.

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