“Red Scholar” Meets “Subway Blue” in Changsha’s Spring Reading Campaign

From March 31 to April 23, subway carriages on Changsha Metro Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 have witnessed an unusual sight: young volunteers from the library of Hunan First Normal University bringing immersive reading experiences into the city’s busy transit system.

Themed “Scholarly Subway, Reading Moves the Star City”, the campaign is both a response to China’s national regulations on promoting “reading for all” and a tribute to the university’s own “red academic spirit”, according to Zhu Ya, director of the university library. “Young Mao Zedong once read quietly in the bustling downtown of Changsha.” Zhu said. “By bringing reading into the subway, we are carrying forward that spirit of finding calm in the midst of noise.”

A Moving Scene of Scholarly Atmosphere

Inside the trains, volunteers share books and engage passengers in conversations about reading. The initiative also draws inspiration from the diligent study habits of Mao Zedong, a young revolutionary figure and a student from this university, who was known for always keeping a pen at hand while reading — a practice that encourages active thinking.

Passing commuters are invited to take a break from their phones and pick up a book. In one touching moment, a mother said, “I want my children to develop a love for reading and grow up happily. From now on, I’ll spend more time reading paper books with them and less time watching short videos.”

From Subway Cars to a Reading City

The university says the campaign is already helping to change reading habits in Changsha, encouraging deeper, more focused reading in everyday urban spaces.

As a next step, Hunan First Normal University plans to expand the initiative into a series of ongoing programs, including “Scholarly Subway”, “Scholarly Campus”, and “Red Classics Recitation,” aiming to make reading a daily habit for students and citizens alike. “We want to inject youthful energy into the national drive for a ‘Reading China,’” a university representative said.

Source: https://moment.rednet.cn/pc/content/646048/65/15859579.html