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| Emma Watson-inspired book-sharing drive stumbles in China | Emma Watson-inspired book-sharing drive stumbles in China |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Inspired by Harry Potter star Emma Watson, a Chinese firm launched a large-scale book-sharing campaign this week. But instead of winning praise, the innocuous campaign has drawn ridicule from netizens, says the BBC's Grace Tsoi. | Inspired by Harry Potter star Emma Watson, a Chinese firm launched a large-scale book-sharing campaign this week. But instead of winning praise, the innocuous campaign has drawn ridicule from netizens, says the BBC's Grace Tsoi. |
| The Fair, a content production company based in Beijing, kick-started "the book-dropping battle" campaign on Tuesday in major cities. | The Fair, a content production company based in Beijing, kick-started "the book-dropping battle" campaign on Tuesday in major cities. |
| While Emma Watson left about 100 copies of Maya Angelou's Mom & Me & Mom across the New York and London transport networks as part of a community project, the Chinese campaign has become much larger in scale. | While Emma Watson left about 100 copies of Maya Angelou's Mom & Me & Mom across the New York and London transport networks as part of a community project, the Chinese campaign has become much larger in scale. |
| The media-savvy organisers have placed more than 10,000 books around the underground, taxis and planes in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The campaign will soon expand into other cities. | The media-savvy organisers have placed more than 10,000 books around the underground, taxis and planes in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The campaign will soon expand into other cities. |
| The activity has earned the endorsements of A-listers such as actors Huang Xiaoming and Xu Jinglei, and the sponsorship of several large publishers. | The activity has earned the endorsements of A-listers such as actors Huang Xiaoming and Xu Jinglei, and the sponsorship of several large publishers. |
| However, the campaign experienced plenty of hiccups. | However, the campaign experienced plenty of hiccups. |
| Some books were left untouched because passengers thought they had been left there by people wanting to save the seats; some books were taken away by cleaners; people also complained that they couldn't get to the books because the carriages were too crowded. | Some books were left untouched because passengers thought they had been left there by people wanting to save the seats; some books were taken away by cleaners; people also complained that they couldn't get to the books because the carriages were too crowded. |
| Shanghai Metro has urged passengers not to participate during peak hours, saying that the campaign could affect commuters. Guangzhou Metro also said it might also disrupt public order. | Shanghai Metro has urged passengers not to participate during peak hours, saying that the campaign could affect commuters. Guangzhou Metro also said it might also disrupt public order. |
| But many social media users took issue with the motives of the book-sharing drive itself, criticising it as an eye-grabbing marketing event that did little to encourage reading. | But many social media users took issue with the motives of the book-sharing drive itself, criticising it as an eye-grabbing marketing event that did little to encourage reading. |
| "I think the most probable outcome is that people will take photos and selfies when they pick up the books. They will write a post on WeChat [a popular chatting app in China]. Feeling satisfied, they will bring the books back home and put it in the back of the bookshelves," said "Guo Qing aaaa" on Weibo. | "I think the most probable outcome is that people will take photos and selfies when they pick up the books. They will write a post on WeChat [a popular chatting app in China]. Feeling satisfied, they will bring the books back home and put it in the back of the bookshelves," said "Guo Qing aaaa" on Weibo. |
| Some social media users pointed out that Watson has studied at Brown University and Oxford University; she is an avid reader that has her own feminist book club. But Chinese celebrities endorsing the campaign didn't seem to be reading much. | Some social media users pointed out that Watson has studied at Brown University and Oxford University; she is an avid reader that has her own feminist book club. But Chinese celebrities endorsing the campaign didn't seem to be reading much. |
| A Weibo user wrote: "Isn't it embarrassing that the campaign is now promoted by stars who apparently don't read?" | A Weibo user wrote: "Isn't it embarrassing that the campaign is now promoted by stars who apparently don't read?" |
| Chinese people don't read? | Chinese people don't read? |
| An average Chinese person read 4.58 paper books in 2015, according to a nation-wide survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication. | An average Chinese person read 4.58 paper books in 2015, according to a nation-wide survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication. |
| That is much lower than the Canadians, at 17 books a year, and 12 in the United States. | That is much lower than the Canadians, at 17 books a year, and 12 in the United States. |
| Murong Xuecun, an acclaimed Chinese writer, told the BBC that he thought having a Chinese version of the book-sharing campaign was not at all a bad thing, but that the campaign will do little to address the deeper reasons why Chinese people don't read. | Murong Xuecun, an acclaimed Chinese writer, told the BBC that he thought having a Chinese version of the book-sharing campaign was not at all a bad thing, but that the campaign will do little to address the deeper reasons why Chinese people don't read. |
| "In the past three decades, the Chinese economy has been developing rapidly and people don't have much leisure time. Everybody is in a rush and busy with work. They don't have time for reading." | "In the past three decades, the Chinese economy has been developing rapidly and people don't have much leisure time. Everybody is in a rush and busy with work. They don't have time for reading." |
| Even though Chinese society values education, Murong said that Chinese people had a target-oriented attitude towards reading. It is not seen as something to be enjoyed, or something that serves a higher purpose. | Even though Chinese society values education, Murong said that Chinese people had a target-oriented attitude towards reading. It is not seen as something to be enjoyed, or something that serves a higher purpose. |
| "When Chinese students study for gaokao [the national university entrance exams] or for high scores when studying overseas, they have an obvious goal." | "When Chinese students study for gaokao [the national university entrance exams] or for high scores when studying overseas, they have an obvious goal." |
| "People always ask what kind of use the book has. Books related to culture are not read by many." | "People always ask what kind of use the book has. Books related to culture are not read by many." |
| Zhang Wei, the co-founder of The Fair, didn't seem bothered by the flurry of criticism. | Zhang Wei, the co-founder of The Fair, didn't seem bothered by the flurry of criticism. |
| "We are a company. We are not saying businesses cannot do charity works, but as a company, there must be commercial considerations behind our actions," Zhang told the BBC. | "We are a company. We are not saying businesses cannot do charity works, but as a company, there must be commercial considerations behind our actions," Zhang told the BBC. |
| Zhang said they had not received any money from the publishers, but admitted that it brought a lot of good publicity to the one-year-old company. | |
| "Just because Chinese people don't read regularly it doesn't mean that we should do nothing to encourage reading." | "Just because Chinese people don't read regularly it doesn't mean that we should do nothing to encourage reading." |