Chinese actress Na Er Na Xi (那尔那茜), also known as Nashi, is once again at the center of controversy after authorities in Inner Mongolia launched an official investigation into her gaokao history. The issue first came to light after netizens resurfaced an old interview in which Nashi, who is from the Mongol ethnic group, admitted she was part of a government-sponsored arts program that required her to return to Inner Mongolia after graduation—something she never did, as she went on to pursue acting instead. This drew immediate backlash that sparked various rumors about her, with speculations about her gaokao scores and how she managed to gain admission to the prestigious Shanghai Theatre Academy just like her actress mother Ao Deng Gao Wa (奥登高娃) whose name is now Zhang Lihua (张丽华).
The 35-year-old star gained attention this 2025 for high-profile roles as Deng Chan Yu in Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, and as Amita in the historical drama The Litchi Road. While public speculation swirled about whether the controversy would affect the airing of the drama, it ultimately aired in full. But on June 21, a joint task force released a preliminary report that about a certain Xi that confirmed long-rumored issues surrounding her 2008 college application and special training program enrollment.
Fake Gaokao Credentials?
According to the investigation, Nashi was born in December 1989 and applied for the 2008 gaokao (China’s national college entrance exam) as a graduate of Hohhot No. 8 Middle School, using her household registration to claim local eligibility. However, the report confirms that she never attended nor had student status at the school, suggesting she falsified documents to qualify for the Inner Mongolia regional exam policy. Despite this, her household registration did meet the criteria at the time.
Nashi gained admission to the Inner Mongolia-directed training program at Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2008. The initiative aimed to train minority arts talents and ran until 2020. Contrary to rumors that Nashi scored only 179, which was below the minimum required score, the report clarified that her actual scores were 449 in liberal arts and 87/100 on her professional arts exam, indeed qualifying her for admission based on her scores.
Rising Public Backlash
While program graduates were contractually obligated to return to Inner Mongolia for work, Nashi applied in 2012 to retrieve her diploma in order to pursue a master’s degree in Norway. Her request was approved, but she never returned to fulfill her service in Inner Mongolia, instead entering the entertainment industry—a move now questioned as a potential breach of contract.
The controversy has ignited public debate about educational fairness in China, particularly regarding the “privileged”. Authorities emphasized that further investigation is underway. Any personnel involved in wrongdoing will be held accountable, and new policies will be introduced to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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