The HCM City Book Street actively promotes a culture of reading through various initiatives. Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY After more than eight years, the HCM City Book Street has sold nearly six million books.

According to the management board of HCM City Book Street, after more than eight years since its establishment in 2016, its revenue has reached over VNĐ345 billion (US$14 million), with 5.7 million books sold.

The management board of HCM City Book Street and relevant authorities recently reviewed its operations and made some recommendations for further development and the promotion of reading culture.

According to Lê Hoàng, director of the HCM City Book Street Company, the book street was inaugurated on January 9, 2016, and was soon recognised by the HCM City People's Committee as one of the city's top 10 highlights that year.

In 2023, residents voted it among the 100 most interesting destinations in the city. Each year, the street sees an average of 700,000 books sold.

Reports highlight that the book street serves as a hub for various sectors, offering a wide range of experiential activities, cultural exchanges, and the creation of new artistic and cultural spaces.

These initiatives align with the city's plans for nighttime economic development and tourism promotion.

With more stalls joining, the book street has become lively on weekends, attracting both readers and tourists, while also boosting revenue for the participating businesses.

In addition to HCM City Book Street, book lovers now have another destination, namely Thủ Đức City Book Street. In just over six months of operation, it has generated around VNĐ7 billion in revenue, with 90,000 books sold.

Promoting reading culture

Since its establishment, HCM City Book Street has hosted around 2,000 events, including nearly 1,000 author meet-and-greets and new book launches featuring both domestic and international writers.

In its first six months, Thủ Đức City Book Street has also held over 150 events, becoming a popular destination for local residents, especially students, while catering to the community's entertainment needs.

Book introduction and exchange events at these book streets attract an average of 100 participants per session, spanning a wide range of genres such as literature, art, research, technology, economics, history, architecture, children's books, politics, law, religion, and more.

Beyond these events, the book street actively promotes a culture of reading through various initiatives.

These include programmes aimed at fostering reading habits among students, such as direct and online seminars on reading culture, exploring its challenges, opportunities, and recommendations, as well as efforts to nurture a love of reading among youth.

Efforts to promote reading include close collaboration with the education sector to instill good reading habits in students through various extracurricular activities.

These activities involve setting up mini-libraries and book buses, and regularly showcasing historical documents, themed book collections, award-winning national books, rare editions, technology books, springtime newspapers, and works by journalists.

Additionally, efforts to strengthen international connections for reading culture development are ongoing, with partnerships being expanded with community organisations, diplomatic bodies, and professional associations. VNS