People of all walks, especially rural people, in Tianjin are being immersed in a literary atmosphere and engaging in extensive reading activities with the launch of the city’s “reading month” event on Sept 3, promoting reading-for-all programs.

The event was initiated by the city’s publicity department, as well as the agriculture and rural committee of the Jinghai district government.

It aims to inspire more people to develop good reading habits, improve the city’s cultural atmosphere and encourage better etiquette and ethics.

As many as 10 key activities, including lectures, themed reading events, shared book reviews and bookstore recommendations will take place in the city’s rural areas, residential communities, schools and enterprises.

On the same day, six publishing houses under the Tianjin Publishing and Media Group donated books to 12 demonstration farmhouse bookstores in Jinghai to help revitalize rural culture.

Shi Jialin, an expert at the Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, delivered an online lecture with the theme "the focus of the Tianjin’s rural revitalization in its new development stage".

Nearly 20,000 people watched the lecture simultaneously in farmhouse bookstores, city book bars, and community libraries around the city.

Liu Xiang, a librarian at a farmhouse bookstore in Fujia village, Jinghai district, introduced the bookstore’s characteristic cultural brand weekend class. Students from Tianjin University will pair up with primary school students in the village to provide learning guidance. In addition, parents and primary and middle school students will visit Tianjin University, a a reading sharing group will be set up, and classes will be held in which experts can give lectures to rural residents.

In recent years, China Daily and 21st Century have both participated in the Tianjin project. Their newspapers are available to readers in the West Bank Bookstore at the Tianta Lake Scenic Area, the highest bookstore in China, as well as several Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants and designated subway lines.