Guests talk about the power of reading during a roundtable at the Global Times Spring Reading Literature Salon at the Guangcheng Academy in Beijing on April 20, 2026. Photos on the page: Chen Tao, Cui Meng, Li Hao/GT

Wu Yuxia, president of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society and doctoral supervisor at the Chinese National Academy of Arts

In the course of my own artistic growth, there is one book that left an unforgettable impact on me: Home Letters by Fu Lei. It can be said to have influenced my entire life. In doing anything, one must be rigorous - whether in academic work, in art, in performing a piece, or in interpreting it ourselves, even in the smallest matters. I have always believed that rigor and discipline are extremely ­important. Reading has given us a lifelong pursuit, one that we continue to uphold.


He Hui, dean of the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University

Books allow me to view the world, including our universe, from another perspective. Humans are very small within the universe, but why do we seek to understand the universe? Because we are human, and we possess initiative. Books enabled me to understand the world from different angles.

If we were to say which one book changed our lives, I think it is truly difficult to single out just one. Personally, I believe that every good book you read subtly influences your life.


Jiang Haoshu, council member of the Translators Association of China and deputy director of the international department of the China Writers Association

We are deeply encouraged to find that Chinese literature has a broad readership worldwide. More and more readers across the globe are paying attention to Chinese literature. There is still a significant market overseas for physical reading materials. I think the most important point is that Chinese literature possesses the power to connect with the world. Reading Chinese works enables the world to better understand China.


Li Nianzu, deputy director of the Capital Library of China

How should we read? As a librarian, I hope everyone reads a complete book, finishes one book. In a lifetime, a person may only read about 1,000 books, just 1,000. We have specially compiled a reading list called a "lifelong reading list." We look forward to everyone coming to the library and turning the next page of your reading journey.


Ma Chao, founder of Innokids Band

As a creative team, our methods, including AI music, AI virtual idols, and various forms of creation, are very diverse. They require a great deal of inspiration, and much of that inspiration comes from reading, from books. We often draw inspiration from a particular story. Much of the content in our music and videos relates to feelings of home and country. How do we shape our view of history? How do we develop logical thinking about society? Reading drives us to create more vital and enduring works in the future.


Huang Ying, founder of the Qingtian Academy in Jiangxi

Promoting reading in rural areas is very difficult. We segment our audiences and aim to make culture visible. We want people to read the culture of this place. This is what reading means to us. Through our storytelling, our expression, and various forms of organization, we enable culture to be seen.


Zhang Sai, delivery worker and writer

What I write is not literature, but the silent daily lives of countless workers. By day I work; by night I am a writer. It may sound like a fantasy story, but it is not. More than 20 years ago, when I first entered a factory, my life was already like this.

People often say that reading changes a person. Once, when I was delivering food to a residential complex, the buildings were labeled with names instead of numbers. For example, one was called "Xiaoxiang Pavilion." For a delivery worker, that can be inconvenient. But because I read, I immediately thought of Dream of the Red Chamber (Xiaoxiang Pavilion is the famous dwelling place of Lin Daiyu, a leading character in the classic novel). This is the kind of experience and change that reading has brought me.