The tranquil environment of a Wenzhou reading room is playing a strong factor in the popularity of facilities that are spreading throughout the Zhejiang province city. [Photo/cztv.com]

Take a nighttime wander through the streets in downtown Wenzhou and chances are you'll stumble across one of the city's 25 reading rooms that are open to the general public 24 hours a day.

The rooms allow local residents to read and write the nights away free of charge and have proved a big hit in the Zhejiang province city attracting an estimated 1.61 million visitors in the past three years.

One reason for the popularity of the facilities is the relaxed atmosphere created by large windows, ample seating, good lighting, and large wooden bookshelves. The reading rooms are also equipped with automatic vending machines that mean visitors can easily locate and take out books no matter what time of day it is.

These public spaces credit a 24-hour bookstore in Beijing called Sanlian Taofen as the inspiration and the reading rooms are seen as an innovative measure working to greatly improve public services and upgrade the city's cultural environment.

The catalyst for these hugely popular spaces is Hu Hairong, a curator of Wenzhou Library, who heard about Sanlian and connected the idea with the common request he received from locals to extend the library's opening hours. The first study opened in Xianqiantou in 2014 and the scheme proved successful with four more popping up in Wenzhou that same year.

Although Wenzhou residents have greatly benefitted from this smart and pioneering program, they have also worked diligently to contribute to the spaces and ensure the reading rooms function efficiently. Locals act as managers, planners, volunteers, and administrators. Additionally, the comments and suggestions made online by residents have improved the facilities.

The idea has certainly caught attention in other major Zhejiang province cities with Hangzhou and Ningbo planning similar developments. It is expected that around 100 such facilities will be built province-wide by the end of 2018.

The spread of popular reading rooms throughout the Zhejiang province city of Wenzhou allows bookworms the chance to take out books 24-hours a day. [Photo/cztv.com]