Wu Shanliu, who took the Gaokao ten times before realizing his dream at Tsinghua University, how has he been doing ten years after enrolling at age 32?

In the year of the college entrance exam, many people crowded outside the testing centers, sweat mixing with tense air, hoping to change their fate with one try. Wu Shanliu’s story, however, feels like a long-running play that leaves a bittersweet taste in your heart after watching it. His skin is dark from the sun, and the wrinkles on his face are deeper than those of his peers. Standing among a group of young examinees, at first glance, you might think he’s a parent accompanying a child. Who would have thought that this man, who looks older than his years, had taken the college entrance exam ten times just to get into Tsinghua University.

That year, he was thirty-two, and finally was admitted to Tsinghua as the top science student in Qinzhou City. Data from the school showed that he was nineteen years older than the youngest student in his class, a record after the resumption of the college entrance exam. Many people think retaking the exam is something young people do with grit, but Wu Shanliu’s journey turned this path into a marathon. Now, with the college entrance exam season back, Liang Shi, nearly sixty, is preparing for his twenty-ninth attempt; Tang Shangjun entered university last year but remains a hot topic. These stories stir the hearts of countless families. Is retaking worth it? How do you cross the gap between holding onto dreams and facing reality?

Wu Shanliu was born into a scholarly family in Qinzhou, Guangxi. His father was a high school principal, and his sister and brother-in-law were teachers. From a young age, immersed in this environment, he was set on the path of aiming for a prestigious school. In high school, he was particularly serious, treating classmates as rivals and hardly talking to anyone. When someone advised him to relax, he simply responded with indifference. His first college entrance exam, due to nerves, he scored just over 400 points, not even reaching the cutoff for undergraduate programs. That disappointment, like a cold shower poured over him, did not extinguish his fire but instead motivated him to try again.

After retaking the exam for a year, he was admitted to Beijing Jiaotong University. His parents sighed in relief, thinking his score was already good enough, and urged him to focus on studying. Initially, he didn’t insist on Tsinghua, but after starting school and studying electrical automation, he lost interest. One day, he and a classmate wandered around Tsinghua, seeing the ancient gates, students carrying books, and the quiet yet lively atmosphere in the library. His heart suddenly felt empty. Beijing Jiaotong University seemed ordinary in his eyes. Over the next two years, he slept in class, spent time in internet cafes after class, and failed more and more courses. Eventually, the university issued him a notice of withdrawal, and he didn’t even get a diploma.

During that period, he tried working part-time. Without a degree or skills, he could only work in restaurants or factories, working twelve hours a day, exhausted and aching. The smell of engine oil and fumes made him long for the scholarly atmosphere of campus even more. In 2007, he decided to quit his factory job and return to Qinzhou to attend a retake school to prepare again. His parents were furious, but seeing his determination, they could only continue to support him.

In the retake class, he was the oldest student, with memory and attention span not what they used to be. Surrounded by much younger classmates, he felt like a thorn in the side. At first, he found it painful, but he quickly moved his seat to the back row. He woke up at five every morning, went to bed at eleven, studying with eyes open and reviewing with eyes closed. In his first year, he was admitted to Beijing Normal University, which many saw as a remarkable achievement. But he locked the admission notice in a drawer and continued to retake. Over the next few years, he received admission offers from nearly all the top 985 universities, including Peking University Medical School, but he refused them all. One reason was that his goal was only Tsinghua, and he was also afraid of blood, having heard that Peking University medical students are initially based at the main campus and might not stay there later.

His story spread locally, and TV stations came to interview him. He simply said that walking through Tsinghua and Peking University allowed him to feel the spirits of those great masters. With this motivation, in 2014, he finally received an admission letter from Tsinghua while lying in a hospital bed—just after an appendectomy, clutching the letter, feeling like a heavy stone had finally been lifted from his heart. Ten years of college entrance exams, eight times giving up on top schools, all for this one place.

At thirty-two, after entering Tsinghua, he sat among a group of twenty-somethings, striving to catch up with the coursework. His grades were average, but he studied while taking various certificates—teacher qualification, CPA—and obtained them all. When graduation approached, he looked forward to finding a good job, but reality hit hard. Many companies hesitated because of his age, despite the Tsinghua brand. Competition in Beijing was fierce, so he chose to return to education, first teaching at a private school in Qinzhou, then moving to a middle school in Zhengzhou.

Now, he teaches math in Zhengzhou. Life is a bit slower, and his salary isn’t high. After deducting rent and daily expenses, life is tight. Relatives and friends sometimes wonder, after so many years of studying and attending Tsinghua, why is he still a teacher? But Wu Shanliu seems to have found peace. He teaches seriously, his students’ grades improve, and many parents and children respect him. Teaching gives him a sense of stability—no longer obsessing over test scores, but passing on knowledge step by step.

Looking back at his journey, some find it incredible, others admire his resilience. While most people complain after a year or two of retaking exams, he persisted for nearly a decade. Think about those years—he turned down several top universities, missed many early career opportunities, and invested a lot of time and energy. That investment paid off with four years at Tsinghua and a subsequent teaching career. Whether it was worth it, only he knows best.

Today, the competition for college entrance exams remains fierce. In 2025, over 13.35 million students registered nationwide. Although slightly fewer than the previous year, the number of retakers remains significant. Many families choose to retake for an extra few points or even longer. Wu Shanliu’s story acts as a mirror—reflecting the cost of persistence and the weight of dreams. Age, memory decline, social circles—these are real challenges. But he shows us that life is sometimes a one-way street; keep going, and you’ll see different scenery.

From a young age, he was told to aim for prestigious schools, but as he grew up, he learned to compromise. His Tsinghua dream came true, but he returned to education—perhaps a return, or a new beginning. When students hear him teach, they sometimes ask about his story. That story of walking out of the exam room is more powerful than any motivational speech. It reminds us that failure isn’t scary; what’s frightening is the lack of courage to try.

Of course, society is changing too. The new college entrance exam system makes subject choices more flexible. Like Liang Shi, who still works hard, or Tang Shangjun, who faced new challenges after entering university. Wu Shanliu’s experience makes people wonder—if he had accepted other schools earlier, would his life be different now? But without that fighting spirit, how could he have made it to Tsinghua?

Life is never a straight line. Some find their direction at twenty; others take ten years to figure out what they want. In his classroom in Zhengzhou, facing energetic students, Wu Shanliu might recall sitting in the back row himself. That loneliness, that persistence—now transformed into patience and meticulousness on the podium. Persistence may not always bring worldly success, but it can bring inner peace.

His story has been passed down for years, with popularity rising and falling. Some question whether he’s taking up educational resources; others praise his perseverance. Whatever the opinion, it cannot change the path he has taken. When ordinary people face setbacks in exams, they might feel discouraged, but looking at Wu Shanliu gives them more strength to keep going. Dreams can be distant, but as long as you take one step at a time, you will reach them someday.

Now, he lives a peaceful life—teaching, nurturing students, occasionally reminiscing with old classmates about the crazy years. Life is like a long-distance run: some sprint, some jog, but the key is to reach the finish line without regrets. Wu Shanliu has, in his own way, completed his own exam paper. Perhaps in his story, we can all find some inspiration about persistence and choices.