Universities get creative with admission notices

Now that millions of Chinese students have gone through the gruelling process of sitting the college entrance exam, it's time for the universities to make a good first impression on their new arrivals. And this year, one university has decided to take an old school approach.

Successful entrants at Shaanxi Normal University are about to be treated to a feast of traditional Chinese calligraphy. Twenty of the university's retired lecturers have written the admission letters by hand and each new student is being presented with a gift of their own calligraphy brush.

And not forgetting that we're in the digital age, Southwest University of Political Science & Law has decided to use barcodes in their admission letters. And though at first glance, this could look like an admission letter to a kindergarten, it's actually a collection of skilfully painted watercolours of the prestigious Fudan university, included as part of its undergraduate welcome pack.