Post-exam consumption drives summer spending

China's grueling national college entrance exam, the gaokao, has concluded, ushering in a period of well-deserved relaxation for newly minted high school graduates and a surge in their spending.

With 13.42 million students having completed the gaokao and entered a lengthy summer break, businesses in the tourism, beauty and education sectors are experiencing a boom.

Many graduates, including Beijing student Chen Yan, are using this time to unwind and explore their options.

Chen said he felt good about his performance in the exam and will apply for a place at Beihang University to study aerospace engineering.

"I will first take a break during the summer vacation and plan a graduation trip with my friends to bid farewell to my life in high school," Chen said.

To gain a better understanding of his preferred field of study, Chen said he plans to join aerospace-related clubs or internship programs to accumulate some practical experience.

"I will obtain some knowledge related to aerospace science and technology during the vacation and preview the fundamental courses to better adapt to university life," he said.

Like many high school graduates, Chen said he plans to take advantage of the long holiday to obtain a driver's license.

Driving schools said many students had made reservations for driving lessons in recent days, or even before the exam, enorth.com, a media outlet based in Tianjin, reported.

The intense exam period often sees students neglect their physical well-being and personal appearance.

Zhuang Xin, who took the exam in Jiangsu province, said she plans to work out and lose some weight during the vacation. Aiming for a place in an art school, Zhuang said she would like to learn photography during the gap months and participate in charity activities.

The number of students asking for hair perming or dying surges after the gaokao each year, said Fan Haichao, a hairdresser at a Beijing branch of fashion chain Oriental Stylist.

Fan said girls often have their hair dyed for the first time during the vacation after the exam, hoping to find their own style and release the pressure.

"A young girl picked a trendy gray color that is similar to a Japanese cartoon character," Fan said on Tuesday. "Her mother accompanied her and asked me privately not to make the color too strange."

Many young graduates upgraded their electronic devices, including smartphones and personal computers, the night they finished the exam.

A salesperson at a Huawei store in Xiamen, Fujian province, said that compared with normal peak seasons, sales of smartphones at the store increased by 20 percent during gaokao season, with more than 50 smartphones being sold on Sunday, Xiamen Daily reported.