National political advisors have suggested the establishment of a national book-reading day on Confucius' birthday to further promote China's cultural construction.

April 23 marks the annual World Book and Copyright Day appointed by the UNESCO, commemorating the lives of a range of well-known writers, including Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Maurice Druon, and William Shakespeare. 

But Lin Yang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former editor-in-chief of China Fine Arts Publishing Group, said that the holiday currently lacks promotion of traditional Chinese cultural elements.

"While we can also organize nationwide reading activities during that time, they cannot be regarded as China's own 'National Reading Day' in the truest sense. Culture is the primary and most differentiated element. Foreign celebrations cannot replace our motherland's own. Therefore, to promote national reading for all, it is still necessary to establish China's own book-reading day with its own cultural connotations," Lin said.

Several of Lin's peers agreed. In a joint proposal raised by another national political advisor Zhu Yongxin and other CPPCC members, they called for the establishment of Sept. 28 as National Reading Day, the same day upon which the ancient Chinese sage Confucius was born.

In 2017, the State Council issued instructions on the implementation of the inheritance and development of Chinese excellent traditional culture. 

Zhu Yongxin believed the instructions made comprehensive arrangements for the implementation of the project on Chinese traditional culture. "From an educational point of view, the promotion of Chinese excellent traditional culture requires a certain celebratory ceremony that pays tribute to tradition and needs a certain vehicle by which it is promoted."

"Confucius was the first thinker and educator compiling cultural classics and advocated reading and learning in Chinese history," Zhu said, pointing out that "Holding all kinds of reading activities in various forms on a National Reading Day that pays tribute to Confucius will help create a positive atmosphere for reading throughout society. It will also guide the people to develop their reading interests, habits, abilities, and continuously enhance ideological and moral quality as well as scientific and cultural quality, providing strong spiritual motivation and intellectual support for the realization of the two centenary goals and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation."

This year marks Zhu's 18th consecutive year in pushing for the establishment of this day.

"The history of a person's spiritual development is his history of reading. The spiritual realm of a nation depends on the reading level of the nation. A school without reading can never have real education. Only a city full of books can become a beautiful spiritual home. Only by reading and writing together and living together can we have a common language, common values, and a common vision," the political advisor explained. 

In order to establish a National Reading Day, Lin suggested that it is first necessary to study and explore the procedures and management practices of national days, and make them based on full research, and adapt them to the development of society and industries. He added that multi-party research should be conducted, and the feasibility of similar holidays in other countries can be used for reference.

A national reading survey conducted in 2019 showed that nearly 70% of Chinese people wanted the organization of additional reading activities. A draft ordinance to promote reading in China was published by the government in 2017. Released by the Legislative Affairs Office of China's State Council, the ordinance planned to take "reading for all" as a national strategy and encourage people to form better reading habits. In the document, it instructed governments at various levels to organize reading activities on significant cultural days such as  Confucius' birthday and the World Book and Copyright Day, but a national reading day has yet to be officially proposed.

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