This is a photo taken on April 3 at the Page One bookstore in Wudaokou, Beijing. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter He Xiaotong
Beijing, 23 Apr (Xinhua) -- Literary interest, interest, and leisure -- looking at the reading life of Chinese people from the shelves
Xinhua News Agency reporters He Xiaotong, Zhang Ge, Xu Siyu
In April, in the capital, the grass grows and the warbler flies. Mr. Shao, who is over 60 years old, brought his family's biggest bookbag to Chaoyang Park early in the morning, and he is looking forward to finding "treasures" from the 2024 Beijing Book Fair, which is being held here.
As a history buff, Mr. Shao is always attracted to some well-made "big books". On the bookshelf of the Art Branch of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press, a huge volume of "The Complete Book of Chinese Painting" made him stop for a long time.
"I have a lot of books on my shelves. Mr. Shao said that he usually likes to enjoy every corner of the picture, and the visual impact brought by the full-color high-definition pictures on the 8-carat large screen is "incomparable to the e-reading medium", and it also has a high collection value.
Zhang Ying, marketing director of Youshu Zhimei, art branch of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press, said that the "Complete Book of Chinese Painting" includes 316 famous Chinese paintings, and 25,000 copies have been sold in two months after its launch, "which has become a popular product". The sales of the same type of "Complete Book of Chinese Calligraphy" also reached 5,000 copies in the first week after its launch, and the sales volume exceeded 1.5 million yuan in a single day for the first time.
"Open book is beneficial. Zhang Ying said that in the era of digital reading, the heavy, unique texture and immersive reading experience of paper books in the hand are still irreplaceable.
The blending of tradition and modernity, the coexistence of literature and practicality, the Beijing Book Fair held every year around World Book Day is dazzling, reflecting that physical books still occupy an important position in the reading life of Chinese.
In addition to "big books", many Chinese readers now also have a soft spot for "used books", and this year's Beijing Book Fair set up the "Old Books New Knowledge: National Old Books Fair and Sales Annual Conference" for the first time. The person in charge of the booth of Xi'an Ancient Bookstore said that the old books on the topic of traditional Chinese medicine were specially prepared for the exhibition, which were patronized by many medical students and amateurs of traditional Chinese medicine.
"In old books and ancient books, the wisdom contained in traditional culture cannot be underestimated. Mr. Li, a reader, put the "Treatise on Typhoid Fever and Miscellaneous Diseases" he had just purchased into a plastic bag and kept it, hoping to find a way to maintain health from the ancient books of Chinese medicine.
On April 19, readers pick up books at the Chaoyang Park Book Fair in Beijing. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter He Xiaotong
Coincidentally, Tianjin Neishan Bookstore and Heping Joy City Store also recently launched the "Old Books Are Hard to Find" activity. Founded in Shanghai in 1917 by Japanese friends and his wife Uchiyama Kanzo, the bookstore once became one of the windows for progressive young people to learn about the world's new culture and ideas.
Walking into the bookstore, all kinds of professional books such as architecture, Chinese medicine, history, and law are displayed on wooden shelves or placed on the ground, and many customers carefully select their favorite reading materials.
"'Old books' do not mean old and dilapidated, but rather books that do not seem to be trendy, but meet the needs of readers. Zhao Qi, the manager of Tianjin Neishan Bookstore, introduced.
Word of mouth from customers has made the "old books hard to find" area one of the most popular areas in bookstores. "Books in the area are selling four or five hundred copies a week, and we're constantly adding to them. Hopefully, this kind of activity will make readers 'affordable' and 'read well'. Zhao Qi said with a smile.
For contemporary readers, in addition to the culture and feelings contained in ancient and old books, a page of text in a book may bring a comfortable world.
In Changsha, Hunan Province, a corner of the busy city, the Reading Garden Zhixing Bookstore in the center of the city is like a quiet garden hidden in the hustle and bustle. The wooden bookshelves and the greenery complement each other, giving people a sense of tranquility and harmony as soon as they step inside.
According to Wang Mei, a reading consultant at the bookstore, every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evening, the bookstore holds a reading club, with a maximum of 70 or 80 people.
"Bookstores have become an important part of my spiritual and cultural life. Every time I participate in an activity, I feel the joy of reading after my busy work. Liang Xiaofang, a regular customer of the bookstore, said that what attracted her the most was the reading club where she could speak freely.
"I hope that book lovers can find their own reading pleasure and spiritual sustenance here. Wang Mei said that the bookstore's goal is to "strive to drive one million people to read in ten years."
According to the data disclosed in the 2023 National Workplace Reading Report, more than 75% of Chinese workers read more than half an hour a day, and nearly 34% read more than one hour a day. Reading has become the soul habitat of many people in the workplace.
On weekend nights, Beijing's Wudaokou Page One bookstore is bustling with warm lights. Located in the heart of a bustling business district, this trendy bookstore chain has become a great place for young people to relax.
"I just like this kind of library book, which can be taken to the subway and read. Ms. Xia, a post-95 office worker, picked up an A6 paper-sized novel from the bookshelf and rubbed it, and the reading time on the subway became a part of her busy urban life.
For contemporary Chinese young people, reading is not only a leisure time to seize the busyness, but also to enjoy a spiritual journey. Ms. Zhou, from Hangzhou, is accustomed to reading at night, and after a busy day, only night is "truly her own time".
According to the 2023 White Paper on Reading Trends for All, 87.98% of the Chinese public still maintains the habit of reading. In terms of reading habits, the lunch break and the free time in the evening have become a "pure land" reserved for the public to read.
On April 21, customers choose books at Sisyphean Bookstore in Renhuai, Guizhou Province. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Chen Yong)
On her first day in Beijing, Ms. Zhou came to the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore, located in the center of the Sanlitun trendy check-in center, "not only to feel the cultural atmosphere, but also to buy a few Sanlian books to recharge herself."
"More and more readers are beginning to pay attention to their own reading experience, shifting from 'advanced consumption' and 'impulsive consumption' to a rational and pragmatic consumption concept, and the 'post-00' young people are also more willing to pay for self-learning and self-please. Zhang Ying said.
According to the survey, books such as literary novels, social sciences, classics of Chinese culture, and biographies are more popular among readers. The pace of contemporary life is accelerating, and some books related to physical and mental health are also prominently placed in major bookstores.
According to the data released by the China Academy of Press and Publication, the reading volume of Chinese has shown a trend of increasing year by year in recent years. Between 2010 and 2022, the number of books read per capita rose from 4.98 to 8.11, an increase of more than 60%.
"Sometimes when you see the cover of a book, you feel the urge to read it. Ms. Xia said that unlike WeChat reading, listening to books, etc., the fun of paper book reading lies in "unexpected encounters".
For readers, well-made books on the shelves have their own characteristics, from layout and binding to content and style. "Whether you're reading a tome or a casual novel, enjoying solitude or meeting friends with books, reading is always a blessing. Mr. Shao said.
Source: Xinhuanet