7 decades later, girl admitted to grandfather's alma mater

Carrying on her family tradition, a girl from Tianjin was admitted by a well-known university which her grandfather studied at 71 years ago, People's Daily reported on Wednesday.

With a high score of 695 in this year's college entrance examination, or gaokao, Dai Jingyi has enrolled in the prestigious Tongji University in Shanghai. She will be studying in the engineering department.

Seventy one years ago, Dai's grandfather, Dai Mengchao, was admitted to the department of architecture at the university. After graduation, Dai worked in the Central Construction Engineering Ministry.

In 1959, at the age of 26, he participated in the construction of some of the country's landmark buildings such as the Great Hall of the People and the Revolutionary History Museum. Dai devoted his whole life to architecture. "Wherever my motherland needs me, I will be there," he said.

Dai Jingyi grew up listening to her grandfather's story, which planted a seed in the girl's heart. She aspired to attend Tongji University just like her grandpa.

"Tongji is my 'dream school', and becoming a 'Tongjier' also fulfills my grandfather's wish," she said.

The younger Dai said she will follow in the footsteps of her grandfather by studying hard at the university. "I want to be an outstanding 'Tongjier' like my grandfather," she said.