Zhejiang University holds a virtual commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on June 29. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Zhejiang University held an online commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on June 29, local media reported.

The virtual world used for the ceremony was inspired by Minecraft, a sandbox video game.

According to the university, Xu Xiangguo, a teacher at the school's Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, spent more than a month to build this online world.

During the ceremony, which commenced at 7:30 pm, graduates could be seen in the form of avatars wearing gowns that were specially designed to represent their degrees.

Outside the hall, the night sky was "ignited" by a firework show and the ground was lit up by numerous light boards that formed "ZJU", the initials of the school.

"I've been studying at ZJU for seven years and it is beyond my imagination to say goodbye to the school in such a unique way. I appreciate the school and teachers' devotion and I hope ZJU will get better and better," said Ye Zhangyu, a graduate from the mechanical manufacturing and automation school.

The virtual world, which will be available until July 6, will also be used to host a music festival, a yearly tradition that had to be cancelled because of the epidemic.

A virtual firework show is held after the commencement ceremony [Photo/zjol.com.cn]