Yearender: Top 10 cultural events from 2016

Chinese star Huang Xiaoming and Xu Jinglei share their photos of scattering books in subway stations. [Photo/Weibo.com]

3. Scattering books on subway went viral in big cities

Inspired by British actress and "book fairy" Emma Watson, the Scattering Book project, which advocates leaving books in public spaces for more people to read, went viral nationwide.

Xinshixiang, an influential public account on WeChat launched a Scattering Book project in November in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, with 10,000 books left on subways, airplanes and taxis for sharing.

Each book is marked with the Scattering Book project name and anyone can read the book freely and then pass it on anywhere in the city. There is a QR code inside the book and by scanning the code one can trace the book and see messages left by former readers.

The project was also stirring heated debate. Some have their doubts, wondering if it is just a marketing campaign or whether it will really help people pick up a book.

Related: Scattering books on subway goes viral in big cities