Recently four students of local junior middle schools initiated a book sharing project in Qingdao, Shandong.

Five wooden book boxes in the shape of mailboxes were put up at Zhongshan Park and several other popular scenic spots on the morning of Oct 5 and caught attention from local residents and tourists.

Each box holds 20 to 30 books for people to read and if readers choose to take books from the book boxes, they are expected to put back some of their books for exchange.

Among the first visitors of the book boxes were Mr. Liu and his grandson. Liu took home a copy of ABC of Sound Meters in Chinese Poetry, a traditional book on Chinese prosody, for his grandson, and promised returned several books next week.

A Mr. Li from Xi’an, Shaanxi, said that this project recycles books and embodies a concept of low-carbon lifestyle.

The four initiators of the book sharing project were Xu Tongxu and Shan Weining from the 26th Junior Middle School of Qingdao, Jiao Yuntong from the Seventh Junior Middle School, and Wang Bozheng from Qingdao Experimental Junior Middle School.

They named the project as Q Book House because Q is the initial of Qingdao and the three words quiet, quick and quality, which stand for the reading style they are trying to promote.