Editor's note: After visiting Huichang, a county in East China's Jiangxi province, in April, China Daily made another trip in late July to discover more about the efforts the Huichang government has made to not only develop the county's economy, but also improve its governance and cultural atmosphere.

Officials in Huichang, a county in southern Jiangxi province with a population of about 530,000, are being encouraged to read more books by both Chinese and foreign writers to improve their governing abilities.

The activity, which was officially launched in March last year, is called "Lanshan Reading" and was initiated by Cai Xiaowei, the county head.