Archaeologists back girl's ambition

Museums and archaeology research institutes around China rallied behind a top scorer of the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, after some netizens questioned her decision to choose archaeology as her major for undergraduate studies because they don't believe it is a major that could result in a lucrative career.

Zhong Fangrong, from a small village in Leiyang, Hunan province, scored 676 out of 750 at this year's gaokao and was ranked fourth among 194,000 liberal arts students in the province.

The score allowed her to choose almost any major at any school in the country. Zhong chose to study archaeology at Peking University.

Some netizens began judging her decision on social media after Zhong, a "left-behind child" whose parents have left home to work in bigger cities to support the family, decided to choose a major that they believe will make it difficult for her to find a job.

The hashtag "left-behind girl was enrolled by PKU but chose to study archaeology" became a trending topic on Sina Weibo and has been read more than 570 million times as of Monday.

"You will regret your choice once you enter the job market," one netizen commented.

"Students from less privileged families should choose majors that promise high-paying jobs," another said.

Zhong said she was surprised that so many people took an interest in her choice and that she chose archaeology because she has always been fascinated by history and cultural relics.

She was also influenced by Fan Jinshi, who also majored in archaeology at Peking University and devoted herself to researching and studying cultural relics at the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, she said in a Sina Weibo post on Monday.

Fan, honorary president of Dunhuang Academy, sent Zhong her biography and a letter to encourage her to stay true to her original aspiration and dreams and to work hard, according to the academy.

The 82-year-old Fan had traveled to the grottoes in the middle of the desert in July 1963 shortly after graduating in an effort to fulfill her dream of helping protect the site. She has been in Dunhuang ever since.

Other museums and archaeology research institutes, including Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Shaanxi province, the Sichuan Museum, the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology and the Hunan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology have also sent Zhong archaeological books and cultural relic products to welcome her.

Peking University said it welcomed her to apply to the university and hopes she can indulge in her lifelong passion while studying.

Liu Zhiyan, from Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, said netizens who have criticized her choice have little understanding of archaeology.

Peking University's archaeology program is among the best in the country, so she does not need to worry about finding a related job after graduation, he said.

For example, she can work at government-funded museums or archaeology research institutes, which guarantee a stable job with a decent salary, or she can choose to work at private archaeological companies that offer higher salary, he added.