Taking public transportation in the United States, you can often see people reading books on their way to school or work. But in China, I rarely see people reading during their free time.

Are people’s attitudes toward reading different here? Not really. Data (数据) released by Amazon China in December 2017 show that Chinese people still read a lot. They simply prefer e-books to regular books.

However, other data show that reading is still more popular in the US than in China. Is there a reason for this difference? I’m not sure. What I do know is that China has a rich history of literature. From classic novels like Romance of the Three Kingdoms (《三国演义》) to the modern science-fiction epic The Three-body Problem (《三体》), Chinese authors have created many fantastic written works.

Perhaps the difference starts from childhood. Reading textbooks and doing homework can make you feel quite tired. By the time you finish it, you might not feel like reading for fun. Chinese students definitely (肯定) have to read more and do more homework that US students. So it’s no wonder that they might not want to read much in their spare time.

But learning to love reading can be great. Reading can open doors to places, people and ideas that you cannot imagine. Even just a single book has the power to change your own personal beliefs and attitudes.

Where will your next book take you?