Book burning by Chinese county library sparks fury

Blaze complying with ministry directive meant for schools harks back to Qin dynasty and Nazi Germany, critics say

A county library in north-western China has been criticised for burning books in line with a nationwide cull of “illegal” or “improper” materials used in school libraries.

Reports and photos of two women burning a pile of books outside the Zhenyuan county library in Gansu province emerged at the weekend. According to Chinese media, an article on the county’s website detailed a “removal and destruction” cleanup at the end of October, focusing on illegal, religious, and biased books.

这张照片最值得注意的地方是什么吗？是图书馆的这些文科馆员主动选择焚书这个动作执行了上级关于清理命令，认真专注演绎着是人就能联想的成语，并且作为成绩放在官网上。 pic.twitter.com/1IP44mcBG7

Related: Creeping censorship in Hong Kong: how China controls sale of sensitive books

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