The 2026 Beijing High School Entrance Examination, or zhongkao, kicked off on Wednesday. The two-day exam has drawn a total of 126,000 registered candidates across Beijing, marking a year-on-year increase of 15,000. The city has designated 18 examination zones and a total of 250 test venues. At 7 am on Wednesday, candidates filed into examination rooms in an orderly manner at Beijing No.8 High School Shijingshan Experimental School to take their first subject: Chinese. Photos: Li Hao/gt