Recently, people can not only enjoy shopping in downtown Nanjing’s Xinjiekou area, but read books, too.
Nanjing’s forth batch of 43 BookCrossing stops was unveiled in House of Fraser on Nov. 18, adding the total number of the city’s BookCrossing points to 208.
In House of Fraser, the second experience base of BookCrossing in Nanjing after Jubao Mountain Park, customers can pick and read books randomly in rest areas on the 2nd and 3rd floor apart from the fixed reading area on the 1st floor.
In the ceremony on Nov. 18, many readers and organizations donated books they finished reading to the BookCrossing points.
Foreigners living in Nanjing also participated in the activity and donated book. Frank Hossack, founder of Nanjing International Community Clubhouse (NICC) who has been living in Nanjing for more than 20 years, introduced the origin of BookCrossing in Europe and called on foreigners in Nanjing to join in. He and another five foreign friends from British Council also donated book at the ceremony.
The act of BookCrossing originated in Europe during the 1960s and 1970s. Book lovers would leave books they finished reading with a label in public places to be picked up and read by others, who then did the same to share the books and their comments with more.
BookCrossing in Nanjing was initiated in June, 2016. Since then, over 160 BookCrossing points have been settled in government offices, companies and organizations all over Nanjing. Slightly different from BookCrossing in Europe, Nanjing citizens can pick a book and read for free, with only a scan of QR code.
Nanjing is planning to add the number of BookCrossing points to 600-800 in the next three years, making the passion for reading a cultural signature of the city.
