Hebei Province will host the 2026 National Reading Activity Week and May Day Public Benefit Book Fair from April 26 to May 2. The event will be conducted simultaneously online and offline across the province, with 3 million yuan in book purchase vouchers to be distributed to the public.
Themed "Promoting National Reading, Building a Scholarly Society," the event is jointly organized by the Provincial Publicity Department and Hebei Publishing & Media Group, among other units. The main venue will be located at the Shijiazhuang People's Hall, with coordinated activities taking place at Xinhua Bookstore branches, public cultural spaces in various cities, including Dingzhou and Xinji, as well as in Xiongan New Zone and counties across the province.
Online activities will be supported by 189 stores on the "Xinhua Preferred Online Chain Mall" and new media platforms such as Douyin, creating a comprehensive and interconnected event framework.
This year's program features several highlights, including national-level activities being held in Hebei. The China Writers Association will host a session titled "Perceiving the Great Changes in the New Era Rural Areas," inviting renowned writers and literary critics to share insights on rural development in Hebei. The launch ceremony of the "Bookish China Tour," led by the China News Publishing Media Group, will also take place in the province. Additionally, the "Red Sofa" interview series will bring together industry experts, publishers, and reading promoters for in-depth discussions, broadcast via multimedia to foster intellectual exchange on reading.
To establish a long-term mechanism for promoting reading, the event will introduce the "Xinhua Bookstore · Weekend Joy" brand, aimed at creating regular reading promotion activities at Xinhua Bookstore outlets. A graded reading list for popular science books for young people will be released to provide professional guidance for scientific reading. Daily bestseller lists will be published, and after the event, outstanding reading promoters will be recognized province-wide, with recommended book sections set up in bookstores.
In line with Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, a joint exhibition area for high-quality books from the three regions will be set up to showcase recently published works. Activities such as new book launches and live-streamed book recommendations will be organized. An antique book market, in collaboration with entities like China Bookstore and Tianjin Ancient Books Store, will feature rare items including Ming and Qing dynasty classics, vintage comic books, and inaugural issues of precious journals.
To encourage integration and innovation, a Reading Drama Week will debut this year, with performances of selected plays such as "Seven-Eared Rabbit" and "Universal Science Successor" at the main venue. Themed flash mobs will also be held based on IPs like "Journey to the West" and "Special Forces School" from Hebei Publishing & Media Group. A digital reading achievements experience zone will highlight local platforms such as the "JiZhi" digital reading platform and the Hebei Education Resources Cloud Platform. A diverse cultural market will include a "Hebei Handicrafts" intangible cultural heritage area, where inheritors of intangible cultural heritage will demonstrate skills like paper-cutting, ink rubbing, and lacquer fan making.
Interactive activities such as stamp collection check-ins, daily reading sessions, and picture book sharing will run throughout the event to enhance reader engagement.
Substantial discounts will be offered, including 3 million yuan in book purchase vouchers for readers. New and bestselling books will be sold at a 25% discount, while special offer books will be available at over 50% off. The vouchers will be valid both online and in physical stores. A public service area will be set up at the main venue, and branch venues will host benefit sales in public spaces like parks and squares.
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