Debate Over Meme About Students at Tsinghua U.

Educators and others in China are debating a popular meme in which female students at a Tsinghua University, a leading Chinese institution, post photographs of themselves before and after they enrolled, The South China Morning Post reported. The "after" photographs generally show the women appearing more attractive and with lighter skin. And this has led to people saying that the theme of the meme is, “Off to Tsinghua to become white, rich and beautiful.” The meme has appeared on the university's admissions blog, prompting criticism that it is all a promotional campaign from the university. The university replied to the criticism on its blog, saying: “After an unforgettable experience at Tsinghua, changes in one’s appearance and attitude are not all that shocking. Character building is the most important.”