Dozens of publishers have gotten together to talk about their future in an age of digital publishing - which many consider a double-edged sword. But some say the boom in digital distribution will help encourage young Chinese to read more.

This is how engineer Xu Ling normally spends time on his way to work. He's one of many people who read from their mobile phones while waiting for their train. They say it's easier to read from a phone or an electronic tablet, because those devices have other useful functions like GPS.

Xu Ling, Shanghai Resident said, "I haven't bought a single copy of a printed book since I started downloading and reading e-books two years ago. I now read for at least one hour a day on my phone."