SHANGHAI - The average Chinese person reads six books a year, far fewer than the average in Western countries, said an official at the annual Shanghai Book Fair, which opened on Wednesday.

Europeans and Americans get through 16 books annually, and the number is as high as 24 in North European countries, according to Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication.

"Reading is the foundation to inherit and develop a nation's culture. Although reading has been growing in China, it is still at odds with our history of civilization," Yan said at the fair, which runs until August 21.

Since 2006, more than 400 Chinese cities have held activities to promote reading. Shanghai, for example, has organized reading forums in addition to the annual fair, he said.

The Chinese government plans to increase the printed word's popularity among the public through methods including helping more books to be published, encouraging innovation in communications, and distributing books to smaller cities and rural areas, the official added.