Rural students to get free dictionaries

A pupil checks a copy of Xinhua Dictionary - the most common Chinese dictionary used in educational institutions – in Huanghailu Primary School in Ganyu county of East China’s Jiangsu province on Jan 6, 2013. [Photo by Si Wei /Asianewsphoto]

All students in rural Chinese primary and junior middle schools will be provided with a free Xinhua Dictionary - the most common Chinese dictionary used in educational institutions - by the government beginning with the new semester after the 2013 winter vacation.

The Commercial Press, publisher of the dictionary, is working with more than 30 printing companies across the country to ensure on-time delivery of an estimated 100 million copies in 2013. The publisher will deliver roughly 20 million copies each year from 2014.