A group of kids gathered at KFC’s Jinshan outlet in Luohu District recently, not for the Colonel’s delicious kids’ meals, but to learn the history of ancient buildings in China as well as the origins and tradition of family, to mark World Reading Day, which falls on April 23 every year.

As part of the 2019 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao “Reading Together for 30 Minutes” initiative, the event aims to encourage children to read more and let reading become a regular part of their lives.

Under the guidance of lecturers, students learned about the history of how their ancestors moved from caves to shanty villages by the Yellow River and then to quadrangles. They also got a better understanding of the Confucian “Six Arts,” including music, archery, mathematics, rituals, chariot-riding and calligraphy.

Children and their parents also tried their hands at a traditional Chinese craft — rubbing. In ancient times, major events were inscribed on bronze wares or stone tablets in the form of words or pictures. After paper was invented, people made such inscriptions into rubbings. After making a rubbing of their own, children gained general knowledge about papermaking technology and its role in human civilization.

Children also read the book “Family, Where We Are From,” one of the four books in the series “Picture Books of History and Encyclopedia for Children” produced and published by the National Museum of China. The collection has been included in KFC’s kids’ meal, which means customers can get one of the four books at random with each purchase of a kids’ meal.

In recent years, KFC has given out nearly 20 million books to children through kids’ meals. The fast food chain has also been playing an active role in promoting reading across the country, which is well-received by kids and their parents.

From March to May, KFC outlets in Shenzhen will also hold thematic story-telling events to promote traditional Chinese culture and history.

(Yang Mei)