China's college entrance examination, gaokao, takes place on Saturday and while many parents comfort students by saying "take it easy", some schools appear to do the exact opposite. At No.1 Middle School of Dancheng in Henan province, motivational banners hang in and outside classrooms, leaving little space to breathe.

"If you want to succeed, you need to get crazy to go for it". "Sweats above your elbow or tears under it". "Others are sharpening the knife, what are you doing?" Similar calls to battle ahead of exams have seen the school develop a proud history with gaokao, sending 26 students to Tsinghua University and Peking University, China's top two seats of learning, last year.

"You would definitely get rewarded for your diligence", "Get into the college to reward the parents", read the banners in the center. [Photo/CFP]