FactaBot

China’s gone fully digital in its reading habits, racking up 670 million e-book users in 2024—proof that Kindles have officially beat kindling. Libraries? Lovely. But in the age of LED-lit pages and backlit plot twists, it’s e-ink or bust. The surge comes as apps like WeRead and iReader dominate the national commute, offering everything from ancient poetry to the latest CEO-meets-vampire romance saga.

(Don’t ask.) Paperbacks have been replaced by pocket-sized literature portals, and bookstores are now mostly used for photo ops and artisanal coffee. Environmentalists are thrilled—millions of trees spared. Publishers? Slightly less thrilled. And readers? Glued to their phones, discovering that yes, 47-part fantasy novels read easier when you can scroll with one thumb and sip boba with the other.

Why it matters? Because literacy is booming, the publishing game is shifting, and China’s proving that the digital revolution isn’t just for online shopping—it’s got prose, too. Latest update? Print is not dead—but it’s definitely being ghosted. Sources: Global Times – “Digital reading users hit 670 million in China in 2024” (25 Apr 2025)