YANGON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Students eagerly browsed shelves filled with books on Chinese culture, literature, science and technology, and storybooks as a newly launched mobile library was inaugurated on Saturday at Bowen Chinese School in Yangon, Myanmar.
The initiative, launched by the China Cultural Center in Yangon with 536 books, marks the first step of a program that will later expand to other Chinese schools and relevant organizations across the country, according to the center.
For 18-year-old Yoon Mi Mi Kyaw, the mobile library provides an opportunity to strengthen her Chinese language skills while learning more about Chinese culture.
"We can learn about Chinese culture and society through books even without visiting China," she said.
"Since we are learning Chinese, having these books at our school creates a Chinese-language environment and helps us stay connected with the language," she added.
"As a student attending Myanmar, English and Chinese schools, finding time to visit a library has always been difficult," she said.
"Now we don't have to spend extra time going to a library because we can study Chinese and enjoy reading at school," she said.
Seventeen-year-old Myat Yati, who enjoys reading novels, said the mobile library has given her access to a wider variety of books.
"I usually read storybooks at home, but now I can read more books at our school," she said. "I'm excited to learn about different cultures through reading," she said.
Another student, 17-year-old Aye Myat Thiri, said she prefers reading printed books to reading on mobile phones.
"Reading a physical book gives a different feeling," she said. "The library provides a peaceful environment where I can concentrate better," she added.
Cho Cho Myint, principal of Bowen Chinese School, welcomed the initiative, saying it would save students time while encouraging reading.
"Our students no longer need to visit a separate library," she said. "There are many kinds of books here, so they can choose what they like to read and learn."
The mobile library is not only a collection of books but also a bridge connecting them with new knowledge, languages and cultures, she said.
The initiative aims to help students learn more about Chinese culture and literature beyond the classroom while fostering a stronger reading culture, Han Jiajun, director of the China Cultural Center in Yangon said.
"The books will be replaced every six months so students can continue exploring new reading materials," he said, adding that the mobile library will also be open to people learning Chinese outside the school.
He expressed the hope that the mobile library would encourage students to develop stronger reading habits, improve their Chinese language skills and achieve better academic results. ■
