Zhengzhou residents irate over newsstand ban_美文

Zhengzhou residents irate over newsstand ban

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Qi Xin, an employee at an English training company in Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province, can no longer find anyplace that sells her favorite magazine, Youth Digest.

"I bought every issue of this magazine, but now I can't find a place to buy it," the 26-year-old said.

Qi is one of millions of Zhengzhou residents who is getting behind in their reading because city authorities decided to pull down all newsstands.

The last newsstand, at the intersection of Chengshi Huayuan Road and Hongqi Street, was torn down on April 2.

In April 2017, the Zhengzhou government decided to pull down the city's 421 newsstands.

Zhengzhou's urban management bureau, which was in charge of the initiative, claimed at the time that all newsstands were illegal constructions.

Beijing News reported in 2017 that no Zhengzhou newsstand had a license.

It also reported that in 2004, a total of 341 stands were licensed.

"Hearings were not needed for cracking down on illegal constructions," said Han Yongjin, vice-director of the bureau. "Some newsstands extend to the street, occupy public spaces, sell refreshments, and hang posts. All affect urban planning, and should be cracked down," a government notice by the bureau said.

An alternative offered by the government was to move newspaper stands to supermarkets.

However, Qi doesn't like the alternative. "It is so inconvenient for me. I could get change at the stands before, but now I have to walk miles to find a supermarket," she said.