Two-day weekends became the norm a few years ago, and the number of official holidays has increased as well. This gives people more free time to visit bookstores and libraries and to read. Improvements in book publishing and distribution channels are also major factors in the increased popularity of reading. Back in the days of pre-reform China's planned economy, publishers did not concern themselves with whether or not their books sold. With the shift in recent years to a market economy, publishers have been forced to pay attention to market trends and customer demand.
Books are now much easier to obtain.
Statistics from China's Press and Publication Administration show that in 1998 the country boasted 46,883 bookstores, or approximately one per 25,000 citizens. However, the ratio for city dwellers is much more favorable. Nor do these statistics include the open-air bookstalls found all over China. It is the growth of the reading population that supports this swelling number of booksellers. For many years, politics wielded a powerful influence on the reading habits of Chinese citizens.