Chinese embrace new era of reading(2)

TURNING THE PAGE ON CHALLENGES

However, aside from STB's innovation, it cannot be ignored that book shops in China are generally struggling for survival as piracy and e-books give them tough competition.

In the 1990s, over 1,500 independent bookstores sprung up in major Chinese cities, mainly selling titles about politics and social science. But today, Beijing is left with just one of its major independent operators -- All Sages Bookstore.

Fan insisted that the dwindling does not necessarily mean people's interest in reading is declining, but that it is diversifying.

According to survey results published on Monday by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, Chinese people read 4.77 paper books and 2.48 digital ones in the past year, up 0.38 and 0.13 respectively.

The poll of 40,600 adults in 29 provincial-level regions suggested that some 50.1 percent of Chinese adults read digitally last year, up 9.8 percentage points from 2012 and the first time this figure has topped 50 percent.

Although there is a perception readers are switching from paper to screens, some old-fashioned reading habits die hard.

Xu Yuan, 33, has organized a book club since 2010. On social media service Sina Weibo, his club has nearly 350,000 fans, and it has built up more than 10,000 members by holding over 300 reading activities each year.

Xu pointed to the role the Internet has played in complementing enjoyment of the printed word. "The Internet provides a platform for communication, sharing and arousing thoughtful thinking among readers," he said.

Not that Xu's book club doesn't have its own fixed reading place. "We mainly read classic books there. Besides reading, one can find his or her soulmate in real life, and expand their circle of friends in the club," according to the bookworm.

In China, organizations have successfully used the Internet to provide broad forums for readers. Douban Read, a digital reading service launched in 2012, boasts more than 1.5 million users.

Dai Qin, head of Douban Read, considers the site a social platform that offers netizens more than "click, pay, read and share."

Dai points to Douban members launching a project to translate fictional works by themselves. "More than 200 netizens have registered online to translate a book. This is a new era of reading as people's reading habits are being changed by the Internet," she said.