What is the first thing that pops into your mind when someone mentions a construction site? Is it the dusty air, the noise of heavy machinery, the toiling workers soaked (湿透的) with sweat or the quiet enjoyment of books?

The latter is what one construction site in Xiamen city, East China’s Fujian province. It quickly became the focus of attention on World Book Day, which fell on Saturday, thanks to a construction contractor (承包商) building a library for the site’s 200-plus workers.

The library is located in a portable container that is around 18 square meters. It was set up by China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co, earlier this month to promote reading and bring knowledge and pleasure to the construction workers.

Over 2,000 books in different categories, are neatly placed on shelves. On the wall hangs a bulletin board listing six rules for borrowing books. The room is air-conditioned so the workers can read comfortably there.

“I like reading all kinds of books, ranging from nonfiction to romantic novels. The library has them all,” says Li Chenghai, a migrant worker from Southwest China’s Sichuan province.

Compared with playing games on mobile phones or getting hooked on short-video apps, Li prefers reading as books can help him remain calm and broaden his horizons.

Li’s view is echoed by his fellow worker Dongqun, who also comes from Sichuan. Dong is more interested in books on health, cooking and parenting. “The work at the construction site is tiring. I want to learn something to keep myself healthy and inspire me in my daily life,” Dong says. She has worked on many construction sites, but this is the only one with a library.

Yi Jingxing, a 45-year-old worker, also frequents the library. “I like martial arts novels. Whenever I am free after work, I come here to read,” says Yi, who dreamed of being a martial arts hero as a kid.

I must have always known reading was very important because the first memories I have as a child deal with books. There was not one night that I don’t remember Mom reading me a storybook by my bedside. I was extremely inspired by the elegant way the words sounded.

I always wanted to know what my mom was reading. Hearing mom say, “I can’t believe what’s printed in the newspaper this morning,” made me want to grab it out of her hands and read it myself. I wanted to be like my mom and know all of the things she knew. So I carried around a book, and each night, just to be like her, I would pretend to be reading

This is how everyone learned to read. We would start off with sentences, then paragraphs, and then stories. It seemed an unending journey, but even as a six-year-old girl I realized that knowing how to read could open many doors. When mom said, “The C-A-N-D-Y is hidden on the top shelf,” I knew where the candy was. My progress in reading raised my curiosity, and I wanted to know everything. I often found myself telling my mom to drive more slowly so that I could read all of the road signs we passed.

Most of my reading through primary, middle and high school was factual reading. I read for knowledge, and to make A’s on my tests. Occasionally, I would read a novel that was assigned, but I didn’t enjoy this type of reading. I liked facts, things that are concrete. I thought anything abstract left too much room for argument.

Yet, now that I’m growing and the world I once knew as being so simple is becoming more complex, I find myself needing a way to escape. By opening a novel, I can leave behind my burdens and enter into a wonderful and mysterious world where I am now a new character. In these worlds I can become anyone. I don’t have to write down what happened or what technique the author was using when he or she wrote this. I just read to relax.

We’re taught to read because it’s necessary for much of human understanding. Reading is a vital part of my life. Reading satisfies my desire to keep learning. And I’ve found that the possibilities that lie within books are limitless.