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All aboard for island’s first public library
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Sanya, a coastal resort in south China, has converted several fishing boats into a floating public library.
Sea Study is the first public library on the island of Ximaozhou, eight miles west of Sanya in Hainan Province. The pyramid-shaped island is home to 4,000 residents, but has only one primary school.
“Locals needed a library badly,” said Qin Jiayi, instigator of the project. “We see quite a few readers every day.”
More than 30 fishermen spent four weeks renovating three abandoned fishing boats to convert them into a reading cabin, a salon and a 16-bed hostel.
Due to limited fishing resources nearby and out-of-date equipment, fishermen from Ximaozhou Island are less dependent on the traditional way of making a living. Twenty-four fishing boats have been taken out of service and timber from some was made into furniture.
Qin decided to bring the boats back to life in a different way, with support from the local government.
“A life can not be called life without books,” said Chen Muhu, 78, a fisherman who was browsing the archeology section.
The library satisfies local people’s needs while making their village more appealing to outsiders, said Jia Peng, a government official.
The government plans to renovate another 21 vessels into theaters, shops and hostels.
“It sounds cool,” said Feng Yuetao, a tourist from northwest China’s Qinghai Province. He said he would be visiting the library with his family.
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