The 23rd of April marks the death of Cervantes and Shakespeare. Since 1995, the day has been designated by UNESCO as World Reading Day. The idea came from Spain, where the residents of Catalonia celebrate St. George's Day by exchanging books and roses. Things are somewhat different in China.

Statistics indicate that in 2008, half of the Chinese public had the habit of reading, the average number of books read stands at just under 5. Most of the books sold are literary titles, accounting for over a third.

The survey also indicates that more people are going for new media for reading. A quarter of readers view their texts through the Internet, mobile platforms, and CD-ROMs.

The reading ratio among minors stand at 80 percent, much higher than adults. Some 93 percent in the bracket of 9 to 13 years old are regular readers.