An image of college graduates exulting in their newfound freedom while their alma mater apparently burns has recently been making the rounds on Chinese social media.
As the Dalian evening news has tweeted from its official account (@大连晚报) on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, a warehouse just behind the Dalian University of Science and Engineering caught fire at about 1:30 yesterday afternoon. Netizens sharing this image maintain the fire burst out just before this photograph was taken.
Many netizens are incredulous, claiming to be students at the university who did not see the fire, or do not recognize the building in the picture. Some have countered that this was a satellite campus of the school, hence the confusion.
While the image may appear too incredible to be true, a local paper’s account of fire by the school makes it more likely than not to be real. Which leaves this author with a question: Was the timing of this photograph coincidental, as some have written, or did the students seize the opportunity to create an unforgettable memento?
