Next we walked again through the civil service exam museum hall (again the original pics etc. were posted last year on November 26.  The next picture explains the system (in brief) fairly well:

 

The Ming dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 A.D.  Here are the examination booths ...

          

Why can't WE put our students in these???  Laughing!

          

By candle light!??!  OUTSIDE!!!

 

And then there is the cheating vest!!!!  OH MY GOODNESS, EH???  If a student put all that effort into studying, ...?

 

Finally, here is a picture of the depiction of the Examination area.  Look at home many students would be in the booths and how massive a scale the civil service examination system was!!!  Remember that this is hundreds of years ago - long before we, in the West, ever began using a civil service system for government workers!!  Another example of China's early development of society and merit rather than lineage (inheritance) systems.  Not to say that the "system" was by ANY means perfect, but more highly advanced than nobility determination, eh?