Li applauds 24-hour bookstore_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Li applauds 24-hour bookstore

The letter came as a response to Sanlian's report to the State Council on its trial run, which began on April 8, of staying open throughout the night.

"We told the premier that this attempt comes out as a very viable enterprise," Fan Xi'an, general manager of Sanlian, told China Daily.

"We have always had the tradition of caring for the public good and consider the late-night operation a boost for public reading," Fan said. "And it has turned out to be a very good bargain."

According to Fan, the 12 more hours of business each night brought in an average of 28,700 yuan during the trial period. The day shift also benefited, with a 55 percent boost in revenue. More than 800 people visited Sanlian, the bookstore and publishing house most famous for arts and cultural publications, during the evening of April 12.

"The premier's letter came as a huge boost of confidence for us," Fan said. "It also sets a much higher goal, to the extent that the bookstore should contribute to citizens' cultural values."

The store noted that its late-night visitors were mostly young readers.

"Knowledge and wisdom will still triumph over material good and other triviality," Wang Meng, the literary tycoon and former minister of culture, said at the bookstore's launch ceremony.

"It's also my own experience, which is encouraging, that more and more young people are taking reading very seriously. It becomes their friend and their lifestyle," Wang said.