High school students in Beijing line up for China's annual nationwide university entrance examination, known as the "gaokao". Covid controls have been easing in the Chinese capital as virus cases drop, with an announcement that schools will reopen from June 13. Under China's exam-oriented education system, the gaokao is typically the most stressful point of a Chinese student's life, with results determining admission into universities and shaping career prospects. "So they are like an 'epidemic generation'," says one parent, "In the beginning, my kid was very happy since there was no need to go to school, and no need to wake up early. But as time went by, taking lessons in front of their computers for a whole day became quite difficult." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES