Members of the two women's reading clubs read Tao Te Ching, a well-known ancient philosophical classic, in a park in Xingtai City, North China's Hebei Province, on the morning of April 23. They also read a poet in The Book of Songs, the first poetry collection in China, to cheer for the medical workers fighting on the front line of the battle against novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The book-reading event was part of an activity of reading ancient and modern classics and promoting traditional Chinese culture, initiated by the Women's Federation of Xingtai City, to mark the 25th World Book and Copyright Day which fell on April 23.  

"Our members have insisted on reading a book loudly in the park every morning since it was established at the beginning of 2019. We never missed a day except the days (of staying at home) due to the COVID-19 outbreak," said Cui, a teacher in the Huxindao Reading Club who leads the members to read books.

The two women's reading clubs were established under the guidance of the local women's federations. More than 200 book-reading organizations like these have been set up in Xingtai, drawing in more than 30,000 women and children, with more than 2,000 book-reading activities being organized in one year.

"Cultivating a family's reading habit is a long-term project and that's why we set up these book-reading organizations. By motivating women, we intend to further influence their families, and then the whole city," said Chen Bing, President of the Women's Federation of Xingtai City.

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)