A reading gala of the 14th Beijing Reading Festival kicked off at the Lao She Theater in downtown Beijing on Thursday, aiming to show Beijing's commitment to building a city of avid readers.
During the festival, the first floor of the Lao She Theater was set up as a gallery, presenting the key achievements on promoting reading in Beijing this year.
Over the past year, Beijing has vigorously supported the development of its over 2,100 brick and mortar bookstores, while continuously promoting public reading activities.
At Thursday's event, Li Jingze, vice president of China Writers Association, delivered a speech on reading and creativity. Shi Yifeng, vice president of Beijing Writer's Association, gave a speech titled "Changes and Constants in Reading," discussing the significance of reading in contemporary society.
On Thursday, the Beijing Youth Reading Promotion Alliance was officially established, which aims to integrate resources from multiple parties to promote the development of reading habits among the youth and improve their reading level.