Need books to change our lives for the better
Fifty-eight percent of Chinese read at least one book last year, according to the latest national reading survey. The figure is 2.4 percentage points lower than that in 1999 when the annual survey was introduced. Compared with other countries, Chinese read fewer books a year (4.56) than Americans (7), Japanese (8.5) and South Koreans (11).
The importance of reading cannot be overstated. As UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said on April 23, World Book Day, books are "the embodiment of creativity, the desire to share ideas and knowledge, to inspire understanding, dialogue and tolerance".
During the past 15 years, the Chinese economy has grown more than five times and per capita disposable income has nearly tripled. So is there a correlation between prosperity and the waning love for books?
