An examinee is presented with flowers at an exam site in Deqing county, east China's Zhejiang province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

China's annual college entrance exam, or "gaokao", concluded on Saturday nationwide. 

The exact number of applicants for this year's "gaokao" is 12.91 million, a record high since matriculation resumed in 1977.

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Examinees walk out of an exam site in Qionghai city, south China's Hainan province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

An examinee is kissed by her mother at an exam site in Tengzhou city, east China's Shandong province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Relatives of examinees wait outside an exam site in Zaozhuang city, east China's Shandong province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Examinees walk out of an exam site in Gaomi city, east China's Shandong province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

An examinee (left) is presented with flowers by her mother at an exam site in Tengzhou city, east China's Shandong province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

An examinee's father takes selfies with his family at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 10, 2023.  (PHOTO / XINHUA)

An examinee runs out of an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

An examinee is presented with flowers by her mother at an exam site in Beijing, capital of China, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Examinees walk out of an exam site in Huzhou city, east China's Zhejiang province, June 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)