A look through pages from President Xi Jinping's bookshelf

And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov (L) and The Old Man and the Sea THE by Ernest Hemingway [Photo/China Daily]

President Xi Jinping reiterated his love of reading, especially classic novels, at an Oct 15 literature and arts symposium in Beijing.

Xi chaired the event, which gathered some of the country's top writers, dancers, musicians and other artists.

The president gave a speech calling upon artists to create works that are not only artistically outstanding but also morally inspiring, and he engaged in discussions with attendees.

He recalled reading when he lived as a zhiqing - urban youth who toiled in the countryside to answer Mao Zedong's call for them to be re-educated by farmers - during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Xi said he felt lucky when he got to help a driver transport books from a confiscated library and was able to keep all he wanted.

Chinese media quoted Xi as telling those attending the symposium he read all the classic literature he could get at that time.