HCM CITY — Over 1.2 million people visited HCM City’s Book Street in the first six months of this year, according to figures released by the Vietnamese Publishers Association.

The street, aka Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1, gets 5,000-6,000 visitors a day, with the number rising to 10,000 during weekends and holidays.

In the first half of the year, 86 cultural events were organised at the street, up by 10 more than the previous six months.

They included The Year of the Rooster 2017 Book Street, Vietnamese Book Day – April 21, celebration of Reunification Day on April 30 and May Day, European Literature Day, and a children’s festival.

Owners of book stalls on the street have reported a significant increase in sales, with turnover in just the first three months of this year amounting to VNĐ11 billion (nearly US$500,000) or the same as in the entire second half of last year.

Set up by the city authorities in January 2016, it has stalls selling books by nearly 20 publishers.

The City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to replicate it in two to three other districts.

There will be reading space on these roads depending on the number of visitors expected. The new book streets will target specific groups of readers in these areas.

Trịnh Hữu Anh, deputy head of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s publishing and distribution division explained that, for instance, the Thủ Đức Book Street will target students of the National University in Thủ Đức while the Tân Phú Street would be aimed at employees and workers in the area. — VNS