Shandong provincial reading conference opens in Weifang

During China's first National Reading Week from April 20 to 26, East China's Shandong province launched its provincial reading conference on April 23 in Weifang. The two-day event brought together book lovers, educators, and policymakers for discussions and activities aimed at promoting reading and cultural exchange.

The conference highlights Shandong's efforts to cultivate a vibrant reading culture, featuring the release of a provincial recommended reading list, a book fair, and interactive events engaging the public with literature. During Reading Week, a series of 132 reading promotion activities will take place across the province.

A highlight of the opening ceremony was the recognition of the 2026 "Rural Reading Promoters". Among the honorees was Zhou Qinggui, an assistant researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

An exhibition displays the reading-inspired creations of primary and secondary school students in Weifang. [Photo/Haibao News]

Zhou's contribution to rural literacy is deeply personal. He transformed his 240-square-meter ancestral home in Hangtou village, Linyi, into a thriving public library, using literature as a tool to revitalize local cultural heritage. In a moving call to action, Zhou urged the public to support rural initiatives. "A rural library is like a tree," he remarked. "It is rooted in the old house to protect the countryside, offering shade where young readers can rest while providing a path that leads them toward the wider world."

Outside the main venue, interactive literary events and a bustling marketplace featuring award-winning titles drew crowds from across the region, turning the conference into a public celebration of the written word.

As the host of this year's conference, Weifang has built a strong reading ecosystem. The city currently boasts a network of 343 public libraries and urban reading rooms, complemented by 257 campus libraries. This infrastructure has seen immense engagement; the municipal library alone welcomes over 1.9 million visitors annually, while its digital platforms record more than 18.4 million visits each year.

（chinadaily.com.cn）