Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province announced Jan 3 that it will set up a reading room featuring Chinese history and culture in Prato, Italy.

The reading room, the first of its kind in Europe, will be established in downtown Prato, a city with the largest Chinese population in Italy. It is scheduled to open in May.

Both Chinese and Western elements will be used in the decoration of the 300-square-meter reading zone. Moreover, the room will introduce advanced internet systems to facilitate services for readers.

Local residents with valid documents will have access to over 10,000 books and periodicals themed on Chinese history, culture, economy, humanities and social sciences, as well as Wenzhou's distinctive customs. Most of the reading materials will be provided by Wenzhou Library and will be changed every year.

The reading room in Prato is considered a significant measure the city has taken to promote its culture abroad.

"We hope our children will have the chance to learn traditional culture," said Xu Qiulin, president of the association for overseas Chinese in Prato, adding that it is a common wish of more than 20,000 Wenzhou people in the city to see closer cultural ties between China and Italy.

Wu Min, president of the Chinese media outlet, IL Tempo CINA Europa, holds the same view as Xu. He said the reading room will meet the reading needs of overseas Chinese, and will help to better tell Wenzhou stories on the world stage.

In the future, Wenzhou Culture Broadcasting and Tourism Bureau, IL Tempo CINA Europa, and the association for overseas Chinese in Prato will work together on the construction of the reading room, the organization of activities for readers, and publicity in the hope of developing it into a service station for overseas Chinese and their foreign peers to learn about Chinese culture.