Chinese Television show spurs demand for poetry books

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By CGTN’s Hu Chao

‍Little did we know of the latent potential of poetry in China? A competition run by China Central Television over the Spring Festival seems to have sparked the public's interest in verse.

CCTV’s 2nd season of Chinese Poetry Competition started on January 29 and ended on February 7. /CCTV Photo

More than a billion people tuned in to the poetry competition over a 10-day period from the end of January. Some of the show's contestants - many who were teenagers who could recite thousands of classical Chinese poems - have suddenly become stars.

Wu Yishu, a 17-year-old senior high school student, was the winner of the competition. /CCTV Photo

However, Bai Ruyun, a 41-year-old from north China's Hebei Province, garnered even more attention. She's learned over 10,000 classical poems, and the spirit in her poetry has helped in her fight against cancer and poverty. Her story touched the lives of millions - so much so that sales of classical poetry books have soared in recent weeks.

Bai Ruyun, a farmer and a cancer survivor, was also a contestant on the competition. /CCTV Photo

In Taiyuan, capital of north China’s Shanxi Province, many bookstores have set up special sections for such books. Zhang Juan, director of the Management Department of Shanxi Xinhua Book Store, says that due to the Chinese Poetry Competition, sales of classical poetry books have gone up by over 35 percent. And contrary to the past, poetry books are now so popular among readers that sometimes they even run out of stock.

Many bookstores across China have been reporting higher sales of poetry books ever since the TV show began. /CGTN Photo

Zhang says poetry books have attracted readers of different ages and from all walks of life. A book buyer named Lu Jianping says people now love cellphones more than books. But the TV show has rekindled peoples' interest.

She comes to buy poetry books as gifts for the kids in her family, and she believe books are the best gifts.

The poetry competition has sparked students’ interest in poetry learning. /CGTN Photo

Many students say they're now more interested in learning about the mechanics of poetry. Wu Simin, a middle school student, says she and her classmates used to be bored by poetry learning. But now, after watching the TV show, they've all become interested. And her favorite poetic sentence is "Sunset is infinite beauty except for the impending dusk", from the famous ancient poet, Li Shangyin.

Poetry books are showcased in special sections in many book stores. /CGTN Photo

Bai Xin, another middle-school student, says teachers have played the television show in class. They all feel excited when they watch the show. And she hopes to join the show one day because she can recite many poems as well.

For years, many Chinese people, especially adults, rarely gave poetry any attention. But this show has ignited something in them. It's given them a chance to get to know an aspect of Chinese culture they were previously ignorant to. Many believe turning points like this are important for the continuity of China's heritage, from which people can gain strength and confidence for the future.

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