BOOK WORMS: Nguyễn Văn Bình Book Street in District 1, HCM City, is a favourite destination for residents and visitors. Photo courtesy of the book street

HCM CITY HCM City has launched a project on building book spaces and developing reading culture in the community by 2025.

Under the project, the city will provide more than five million paper and electronic books for primary, secondary and high schools, continuing education centres, and libraries in 21 districts and Thủ Đức City from now to March 2025.

The municipal People’s Committee asks the departments of Education and Training, and Information and Communications to work with schools to organise a class period for reading every week, and launch book displays and introductions in schools.

In addition, the city plans to build more pedestrian book streets in Districts 7, Tân Bình and Củ Chi.

The construction will be implemented by the city Department of Information and Communications and the districts’ People’s Committees, in cooperation with the Việt Nam Publishing Association.

All book streets are expected to be completed by March 2025.

The city will also invest more in the book pedestrian street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1, and turn it into the city’s signature destination for culture, tourism and reading culture.

The city now has two book streets, including the newly opened one on Hồ Thị Tư Street in Thủ Đức City.

Both streets are becoming favourite destinations for readers, attracting millions of local and international visitors.

The venues include stalls managed by the country’s leading publishers, distributors and book companies, such as the HCM City General Publishing House, the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House, the Kim Đồng Publishing House, Nhã Nam Book Company, and First News.

The stalls showcase books and magazines from domestic and foreign publishers, as well as audio and visual products. Rare and old books and magazines are also on display.

Every weekend the street provides talks among readers and authors, discussions on reading habits and skills, book introductions and signings, as well as music performances.

A book coffee shop and a kid zone offer readers and children a place to relax and enjoy their favourite books.

During the recent Lunar New Year holiday, the book streets welcomed around 40,000 visitors. VNS