MORE than 500 residents took part Saturday in a late-night Living Library event at which 50 people, serving as “living books,” shared their personal experiences with listeners at Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian District. The event started at 2 p.m. and continued for 12 hours, until well after midnight. The “living books” included Hong Kong pop singer Kay Tse On-kei, who was also the ambassador of the nonprofit Living Library event; a late-night radio host; expat volunteers from the United States and Egypt; and many others. Each “living book” had about 40 minutes to share interesting stories with audience members. The Living Library idea started in Denmark when a group of young people created such events to promote peace and understanding between different cultures and religions, and eliminate violence and prejudice. The trend swept through Europe, the Americas, Australia, Japan and South Korea before it was introduced in China in 2012. Another Living Library event is scheduled for October. Ten Living Library events will be held at Shenzhen Book City CBD store through August 2014. (Wei Jie) |