The city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province held a special poetry recital event on April 23 at Zhanjiang No 1 Middle School to promote a nationwide reading campaign and mark the 24th World Book Day.

A student recites a poem at the event marking the 24th World Book Day on April 23 at Zhanjiang No 1 Middle School. [Photo/zhanjiang.gov.cn]

Over 1,200 students and readers from the literature and artistic circles attended the event, whose launch was announced by Chen Yun, head of Zhanjiang's publicity department. 　

The 2019 Zhanjiang Nationwide Reading Campaign will have the theme of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The southern Chinese city will strengthen promotion on reading activities, improve reading-related infrastructures construction, and organize reading activities for public benefit. The moves aim to boost cultural support for Zhanjiang's efforts to accelerate the construction of a provincial sub-center city and to build an important development growth pole of the modern coastal economic belt.

World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to promote reading, publishing, and copyright protection. It was first celebrated on April 23, 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day every year.