Many of the deputies and journalists who gathered in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Sunday were happy to have their smartphones.

Rather than flipping through the roughly 40-page-long Government Work Report, mobile-savvy attendees could scan a QR code on the report's first page and view engaging videos and graphics set to music.

It was a first in the history of the National People's Congress and consistent with trends in the digital age, as people are spending more time reading on their smartphones.