Peking University, April 24, 2019: To celebrate World Book Day and embrace the beauty of reading, Peking University is sharing a book with you, a book by PKU staff member Gu Xiaoguang that portrays people of difference ages, genders, and social classes reading books throughout the world in more than 100 photos.

Gu Xiaoguang is a Peking University librarian, writer, and photographer. In 10 years, he traveled to 30-plus countries, capturing the beauty of reading in more than 100 photos. Previously, he was a deputy chief editor of the Journal of Information and Management and the executive chief editor of the journal Digital Library Forum.
 

Gu giving a talk

“Reading is a silent conversation, and traveling is the destination of imagination. ‘Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles’ is the philosophical starting point for many people to experience infinite possibilities in a finite lifetime,” Gu Xiaoguang said.

Reading a good book helps us discover knowledge and find inner peace, so why not take a break, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and indulge yourself in a good book to celebrate the World Book Day!

Libraries in different parts of the world

Children being absorbed in reading books

People reading on the street

April 23 was first proclaimed as World Book and Copyright Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1995. It is also known as World Book Day.

World Book Day is a world-wide tribute to books and authors, and is dedicated to encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. With this in mind, UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day.

Writer: Xu Haolun
Editor: EAS
Photos: Gu Xiaoguang, UNESCO, others from the web
Source: Office of Global Communications, UNESCO