Next stage in circle of life

In China, as elsewhere, the graduation season is a bittersweet one. Best wishes are extended, joy and laughter abound, but tears are shed, too. For most students this is a time to start their working life; others will pursue further studies at home or abroad. For yet others the university campus will become the backdrop to mark another milestone in their life: marriage. A few will take a year off studies before resuming them. Graduation rituals include group photos, dinners and galas. For the graduation ceremony the academic gown has, of course, been de rigueur, but many students are now opting to don the qipao, Mao suits and robes of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Some choose more quirky clothes that are fashioned after Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) princesses and other figures of the period.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 06/12/2015 page4)