Changning celebrates reading with diverse events at Shanghai Book Fair

The 2025 Shanghai Book Fair recently concluded. During the event, the atmosphere of public reading was vibrant, and Changning District hosted a variety of activities including celebrity lectures, book crossing, reading-sharing sessions, and parent-child interactions, creating many memorable moments.

 

On the first day of the book fair, the "Shanghai Cultural Card" made another appearance!

Changning District continues to enhance the "Changning Reading" brand.

On August 13, the opening day of the book fair, the second "Fragrance of Books • Oriental Reading Ceremony" was held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The event was deeply integrated with the Shanghai Book Fair and the "Book Fragrance of China" Shanghai Week, aiming to promote public reading and shape the city’s cultural identity, creating a benchmark for Shanghai’s cultural life. During the event, Orient Publishing Center donated books to seven institutions in Changning, including the Changning District Library, to support public reading. As one of the organizers, Changning District continues to polish the "Changning Reading" brand. Through this event, the district aims to achieve an innovative "dual-drive" structure, inheriting the classic book fair brand "Book Fragrance of China" Reading Forum while expanding the concept of "public reading."

 

Listening to children’s stories and seeking connections through books

The fragrance of books and joy "gather" in Changning’s shopping mall.

As one of the most popular shopping malls in Changning, Livat Shanghai was also filled with the fragrance of books. During the book fair, the "Book Drift Bottle" activity debuted at the Xianyu Recycle Shop on LG2 of Livat Shanghai. Children and adults made friends through books, allowing pre-owned books to find new owners. Meanwhile, at LG2 of the mall, Poplar Kid’s Republic curated 200 picture books for visitors and book lovers to enjoy for free, offering a peaceful reading experience. Over the weekend, the "Fragrance of Books, Wonderful Gathering" Poplar parent-child storytelling invited children and adults to share summer-themed stories: meeting and interacting with a T-Rex hand puppet, listening to stories told by the "T-Rex," observing how little ants use their wisdom to enjoy delicious watermelon, and joining "Mole Siblings" on a wonderful adventure. Finally, children and their parents created their own "fish" drawings! The two sessions allowed families to enjoy interesting stories and have fun together. Many parents said that stories from books became even more fascinating when presented this way.

 

The Yangtze River Delta Brand Physical Bookstore Zone was established for the first time

Changning’s independent bookstore attracts travel and photography enthusiasts.

This year’s book fair featured the first "Yangtze River Delta Brand Physical Bookstore Zone." Banana Fish, an independent bookstore from Changning, was one of the 20 participating bookstores. With the theme "Traveling with Bookstores" and decorated with travel-inspired scenery, it attracted many readers. The bookstore focused on recommending travel magazines, curating art and design books from home and abroad, and showcasing carefully designed travel route recruitment activities, signed new comic books, and bookstore IP-themed cultural products. During the book fair, magazines such as “PAPERSKY” recommended by Banana Fish were particularly popular among readers.

 

 

Listening to celebrities’ reading insights online and offline

Multiple sharing sessions filled Changning with the fragrance of books.

Interactive sharing sessions for “The Little Stone Lion on the Night Bright Bridge” and ”A Short History of France” narrating Joan of Arc and the hundred years’ war and a sharing session by renowned teachers organized by the Long Ear Rabbit Reading Club… As a key venue for Changning’s activities during the book fair, the Changning District Library hosted several exciting reading-sharing sessions. These events were livestreamed online and offline, allowing more readers to hear celebrities’ reading experiences and latest perspectives. Meanwhile, Tsutaya Bookstore, a representative commercial bookstore, hosted daily thematic events under the theme "Let’s meet in the world of books!" during the book fair, allowing readers to experience the convergence of Eastern and Western cultures while learning and growing through reading.

 

The "Fragrance of Books • Oriental Reading Ceremony" established a Changning sub-venue for the first time

The "Happy Reading in Changning • Oriental Book Club" brand activity was officially launched!

On August 17, the second "Fragrance of Books • Oriental Reading Ceremony" Changning sub-venue event was held at the Changning District Library. The event announced the preview of the "Social Aesthetic Education" series for the second half of 2025 and officially launched the "Happy Reading in Changning • Oriental Book Club" brand activity, marking a new level of cultural collaboration between Changning District and Orient Publishing Center. The event explored the theme of "AI leading civilized life," showcasing Changning’s innovative practices in promoting public reading and integrating technology with humanities, offering a feast of ideas and culture for the public.

 

Looking back: 30 years of the Shanghai Yan Huang Culture Research Association

Discussing "Yan Huang characteristics, era features, and Shanghai traits."

On August 19, the "Yan Huang characteristics, era features, and Shanghai traits — ‘Thirty Years in Review: Three Decades of the Shanghai Yan Huang Culture Research Association’" sharing session, jointly organized by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press, Shanghai Yan Huang Culture Research Association, and Changning District Library, was held in the Friendship Hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The hybrid online-offline event attracted numerous cultural scholars and readers to discuss the preservation and innovation of Haipai culture. The book systematically summarizes the association’s achievements in cultural research and academic exchanges over the past 30 years, serving as both a reflection on the past and a vision for the future. Renowned poet and essayist Zhao Lihong shared many cultural memories recorded in the book, praising it as a "warm cultural archive." The event also included interactive sessions and recitations, where performers emotionally delivered excerpts from the book, resonating deeply with the audience.