The "Regulations on Promoting National Reading" have been officially announced and will take effect starting February 1, 2026. These regulations elevate national reading from a "recommended initiative" to a "statutory obligation."
In terms of safeguarding national reading, the regulations stipulate measures such as providing suitable reading materials for minors and establishing reading courses in primary and secondary schools.
Regarding minors, parents or other guardians of minors should lead by example, engage in family reading and parent-child reading activities within their capacity, and assist minors in developing good reading habits.
For primary/secondary schools and kindergartens, kindergartens should provide appropriate reading materials for young children, create favorable reading environments and conditions, and cultivate children's interest in reading and reading habits.
Primary and secondary schools should, in accordance with the requirements of quality-oriented education, strengthen the development of a scholarly campus atmosphere, increase the weight of reading within the teaching plan, establish reading courses, provide reading guidance, organize campus reading activities to help students develop reading habits, and enhance reading guidance training for teachers to improve their instructional capabilities.
For institutions of higher education, universities and colleges should treat reading as an important educational and teaching method, organize students to participate in various forms of reading activities, encourage students to broaden their reading content, enrich their spiritual world, and improve their comprehensive qualities.
Other key points include building a national reading promotion system that is comprehensive, universally beneficial, efficient, and based on the principles of public welfare, fundamentality, equal access, and convenience.
The state encourages the development of national reading promotion activities that feature healthy and positive content, demonstrate cultural heritage, and adopt diverse forms, advocating for the integration of these activities with the unique characteristics of different regions and industries.
The fourth week of April each year is designated as National Reading Activity Week.
Local people's governments at the county level and above should, according to the requirements for basic public cultural services, systematically establish national reading facilities that cover both urban and rural areas, are practical, convenient, and offer efficient services.
Public libraries should freely open their reading rooms and study rooms to the public, equip them with desks and chairs, and provide related reading services.
Eligible national reading facilities should, in accordance with relevant state regulations, be open to the public free of charge or at a discounted rate, with their opening hours publicly displayed; facilities with the capacity may appropriately extend their opening hours during national statutory holidays, rest days, and school winter and summer vacations.
People's governments at the county level and above should, based on actual conditions, adopt policy measures to support the development of physical bookstores; they are encouraged to improve reading conditions, conduct reading activities, and fulfill their role in serving national reading.
The state supports the integration of digital reading with traditional reading, promotes the supply of high-quality digital reading content, and enhances the convenience and satisfaction of digital reading.
Management units of national reading facilities should consider the reading needs and characteristics of elderly individuals, provide age-appropriate reading content, and optimize service standards for the elderly. Elderly universities (schools) and senior service institutions with the capacity should conduct reading activities for the elderly.
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