The book Ten Thousand Letters, about the HIV/AIDS situation in China's countryside, has won the First Chinese Publications and Media Awards for the best book in 2004.
The author, Gao Yaojie, an 80-year-old retired physician, has been committed to the prevention of AIDS and helping AIDS infected orphans.
A researcher from China's Social Science Academy said the book is significant because it shows a retired doctor's sense of responsibility toward those tortured by the incurable disease.
The categories for the award include history, biography, arts and the economy.
(CRI.com March 7, 2005)
