16 | Wednesday, November 4, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY YOUTH

uesdays are special for One of the regular participants, some people in the county­ Han Yanqing, 46, has followed the level city of Yuanping, reading club for years. Xinzhou, North China’s She used to work as a receptionist TShanxi province. They are literally at a local hotel in Yuanping and turning a new page on life. Once they joined the club to expand her get off work, they grab a pen, bring a knowledge. notebook and head for the Yuanping Han says she often found herself at Library. There the Time Reading a loss when the hotel guests would Club will meet and discuss books inquire about the local history and that its members have recently read. specialties of Yuanping. As Fu Such book readings and discus­ noticed, Han was often an early sions have been hosted by the club’s arrival and took the front seat, listen­ founder Fu Xiaoping for six years. ing attentively and taking notes from Since its establishment in time to time. December 2014, the club has held Years of participation has various reading­based events each increased her knowledge about the Tuesday evening, and launched 200 county­level city and allowed her to lectures delivered by established more effectively deal with guests’ artists and academics, to promote requests. reading and the development of a Even though Han was promoted reading society. to the hotel’s headquarters in down­ The club has been called “a uni­ town Xinzhou, where she now takes versity without walls” by its mem­ charge of employee training, every bers, because it welcomes people Tuesday, Han returns to Yuanping from all walks of life, including to attend the sessions held at the farmers, workers, teachers, doctors reading club. and entrepreneurs. “The club has offered me, an ordi­ It was the brainchild of Fu, who nary reader, a place to study and set up the organization out of her grow,” Han says. “It helps me better own love for books. The 45­year­old understand my responsibilities in was born into a literary family in life.” Yuanping, and has loved reading More than 1,000 people have par­ since childhood. ticipated in the club’s projects and Her initial reason for launching hundreds of articles were published the club was simple — to make in literary periodicals and journals, amends for not going to a top uni­ raising the club’s profile in Shanxi versity. It also allowed her to read province and beyond. books and share ideas. “I dreamed of going to a top uni­ Each kindness versity in my high school years, but I In addition to literature, the club failed to enroll in a good one, also offers an open platform for because of my low score in the col­ enthusiasts in photography, callig­ lege entrance exams,” Fu confides A whole new chapter raphy, painting, music and recita­ with frankness. tion. It helps showcase talent, and After graduation, she obtained a carries out social services including job at a local social insurance service Book club inspires members as it becomes a story of dreams coming true, charity events — donating reading center, got married and had a child. rooms and money to school children Life went on, but Fu couldn’t forget report Yang Feiyue in Beijing and Sun Ruisheng in Xinzhou, Shanxi. in underdeveloped areas. her dream. To date, the club has donated Setting up a reading club seemed more than 100,000 yuan ($14,930) to be a perfect solution. for those in need, such as children with leukemia or autism, as well as A winter’s tale college students from poverty­ It was a cold, windy day on Dec 23, stricken families. 2014, when the club held its inaugu­ Fu was named as a deputy to the ral meeting. Fu was nervous. She Xinzhou people’s congress in 2016 had put out a notice via her WeChat and a nominee of the “top 10 read­ moments, but had no real idea who ers” award organized by the Nation­ would show up. al Press and Publication “The bitter wind blew and it was Administration in 2019. very cold. I was not sure how it Du Xuewen, chairman of the would turn out,” she recalls. The Shanxi Writers’ Association, says venue, space at a teahouse, had been people find the meaning and value given for free by a friend. of life in reading, and the club has And then, 16 people arrived. All been an ideal place for sharing their from different walks of life, such as ideas and holding discussions. government workers, teachers and Looking back, Fu did not expect calligraphers. But all shared a love the club to be such a sensation. of books and literature. Top: Readers attend a lecture at the Time Reading Club in Yuanping of Xinzhou, Shanxi province. LIU JIANCHUN / FOR CHINA DAILY “I started the project to enrich my “Everyone spoke their mind and Above left: Chen Yu, an 82­year­old retiree from a local fertilizer factory, listens attentively and takes notes at the reading club in 2019. knowledge through reading, but shared their thoughts. It was a lively Above right: Club founder Fu Xiaoping (front left) introduces Liu Yuqing, vice­president of the China Society for the Study of the Book of now I find I have little time for my experience,” Fu says. Songs, and other guests at a book launch event in the club. PHOTOS BY ZHAO XIANGLONG / FOR CHINA DAILY own hobby,” Fu says, adding that The participants then decided to making schedules, seeking and make it a weekly routine and Fu was inviting suitable guest lecturers, elected president of the organization. of Shanxi University, and head of to octogenarians, has had an oppor­ The library’s meeting room can hold munication, the club organized a updating news feeds for the club’s Since 2015, the reading club the university’s School of Chinese tunity to step up to the podium and 150 people. national essay contest themed social account and transcribing lec­ encouraged participants to inter­ Classics. share their opinions about certain “At first, what everyone shared around “a book and my life” in ture content for release is all very pret Shijing, or the Book of Songs, Liu wrote the preface for the com­ assigned topics. Moreover, there are was based on their reading,” Fu June 2018 and received more than time­consuming. an ancient Chinese collection of pilation. lectures being held. says. 1,400 submissions from all over But, whenever Fu sees a big audi­ poems, also one of the five Confu­ “Fewer people are willing to read “We moved to the teahouse’s Then, the club participants China. This stimulated nationwide ence turnout, she feels that all of the cian classics. Shijing these days. I never dreamed meeting room to accommodate explored further afield, from Shi­ public discussions about the role of effort is worth it. More than 20 club members fin­ that a group of people such as this more people and some had to share jing to the classic novel The Dream reading in life. “I’m fortunate that I have so ished 80 essays that shed light on would take the initiative to study it a chair or sit on the floor,” Fu recalls. of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin As of mid­September, the club had many friends who all share the different aspects of the classic. and deliver such good work,” Liu It didn’t take long before the tea­ of the Qing Dynasty (1644­1911) read and discussed topics focused on same interests,” Fu says. These were then compiled into a says. house was no longer able to accom­ and Tao Te Ching written by Laozi, 100 classics. And the club is no longer “Without their collective devotion, book, which got the attention of Liu By the 10th session, Fu had created modate the volume of members. a philosopher from ancient China, just a local affair, as many of its club the Time Reading Club won’t be here Yuqing, vice­president of the China a WeChat group for club members. to works by Greek thinker Socrates members now come from outside today.” Society for the Study of the Book of In the discussion panels, every­ Together we grow and other foreign classics. Yuanping, some from Taiyuan, the Songs, who’s also a professor at the one, from schoolteachers, business In May 2016, the Yuanping Library For the purpose of expanding provincial capital, or other nearby Contact the writer at School of Language and Literature owners to villagers, from teenagers opened its door to Fu’s reading club. exchanges and strengthening com­ cities of Shanxi province. [email protected]

natural philosophy, and has far older origins, containing much Tome offers a natural way to view things more research fields related to man’s social aspects, according to experts who attended a symposi­ By MEI JIA encyclopedia of Chinese material um for the namesake book project [email protected] civilization”, the book covers more in mid­October in Beijing. than 80,000 elements related to He Yan, with the Zhonglian Center Describing the majesty of the almost every aspect of Chinese life for Oral History, highlights the earli­ heavens can sometimes leave peo­ from ancient to modern times. It est bowu book in China — a 10­vol­ ple lost for words. But that is not the contains 25 million words in total ume geography­and­tale­combined case for Zhang Shuzheng. The and 20,000 illustrations. account by Western Jin Dynasty 84­year­old, an expert in studying Given the book’s quantitative con­ (265­316) writer Zhang Hua, whose and collating ancient books, found tent, Zhang has worked with more book blurred fiction and nonfiction, there are 190 variations for the than 100 scholars from universities and recorded geographical details, name of the sun in China and 220 and academies. mysterious beasts, historical legends, names for the moon. Though a At first, the task was tough, and not animals, plants, and fairy tales. smaller heavenly body, the moon’s many members of the general public Bowu studies have been continu­ silvery appearance at night, either knew much about the traditional ous in the country, but research was full or crescent­shaped, carries with bowu (natural science) studies on One illustration about Chinese carts throughout history. It is among done in a scattered way, instead of as it such an essence of romance that it which the book is focused. the 20,000 illustrations to be used in the 50­volume Zhonghua a branch of learning, thus few com­ inspires a dictionary of descriptions. “Sometimes we even had to use our Bowu Tongkao, an encyclopedia of Chinese material civilization. prehensive, systematic historical The myriad names reveal how own salary to keep the project going,” PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY documents were found, he says. Chinese people understand things Zhang recalls. The timing, though, Only in recent years has there been a around them, and highlight their was good. The public’s interest in the director Wang Chunfa and veteran or that of natural history, Wang says. revival of publishing and reading likes and dislikes, Zhang says. essence of traditional culture has archaeologist Sun Ji, 91, have also “It will be a comprehensive guide traditional bowu books. “The moon represents clarity and grown remarkably, he adds, and the joined the project. Their consultan­ presenting an overall picture of his­ With the help of influencers in watery softness for the Chinese. project, it was announced in Februa­ cy and verification for the tome is tory that will help us to curate exhi­ the field, young people have begun They worship it, appreciate its beau­ ry, got funding from the National backed up by the museum’s collec­ bitions,” he adds. to be drawn into the colorful world ty, and give it numerous rich mean­ Publication Foundation. tion of 1.4 million items. For that, Hao Zhensheng, director of bowu studies. For example, they ings, signaling the people’s pursuit Most of the volumes have been Wang depicts the book as the first of Chinese society of editors, consid­ are attracted by books studying the for peace and dreams,” he says. drafted and are currently being edit­ of its kind in terms of scale and sys­ ers the project as “fundamental” for plants and birds in Shijing, or the For the past 28 years, the profes­ ed and proofread, according to pub­ tematic compilation. It is an ency­ the country. Book of Songs, an ancient Chinese sor from Shandong Normal Univer­ lisher Shanghai Jiao Tong clopedia featuring the collective The word bowu first appeared in collection of poems; and many are sity, alongside his dedicated team, University Press, which refers to the knowledge of both tangible and Chinese text during the Warring fans of Bowujun, the online user­ has been working on a 50­volume project as its biggest ever. intangible things related to the Chi­ States Period (475­221 BC), accord­ name of science writer Zhang Chen­ magnum opus. Titled Zhonghua An expert team from the National nese way of life, of production, and ing to Wang. It overlaps with West­ liang, with the Bowu (Nature Bowu Tongkao, regarded as “an Museum of China, including its of recognizing the material world, ern ideas in natural history and History) magazine.