Gu Huijing, a 17-year-old student at Shenzhen No. 2 Vocational Technical School, outshone her peers after her passion for car repairing saw her win a car repair competition in the male-dominated field.
Gu won first place in an auto repair contest among vocational school students in Guangdong province in April, becoming the first female in the province to attend and win the prize, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported earlier this week.
She also broke the school’s record for car engine disassembly and assembly, which she did in just 26 minutes, half a minute faster than the last record holder, the report said.
Gu has since become a celebrity on Chinese social media, with many praising her for breaking gender stereotypes as well as prejudice against vocational education.
“Many people think auto repair belongs to men, and that it doesn’t suit women. This is a stereotype. Women actually have their own advantages in this regard. For example, they’re more focused on details. I think there’s no gender boundary at work,” she was quoted as saying.
She has had a natural affinity for vehicles since childhood, she said.
She said petrol smells good and the sound of an engine is pleasing to her ears. — SCMP via The Star
