Over recent years, Da Nang has seen a number of innovations to develop a healthy reading habit amongst local residents, especially young people and children, which has helped to promote the city’s reading culture.

One example is the movable book cupboards which have been introduced in many local primary schools to encourage book reading by pupils and teaching staff.  The cupboards are usually placed in the schoolyards during break times and book-lovers have the chance to enjoy a wide range of books including textbooks, reference books, teaching materials and comics.  Many pupils enjoy reading.  They pick books that they like and read them during the period instead of playing games.  At the end of break time, the cupboards are taken back inside to be safely stored.

A young man enjoying reading a book at the Omely coffee shop

Mr Can Dinh Viet from Ha Noi is the founder of the website www.sach100.vn which features book-lending services. Book lovers across the country can visit the website, choose the books that they want to borrow, and then contact the sach100.vn representatives to receive them.  In Da Nang at present, the only venue to provide books sourced from the sach100.vn website is the Omely coffee shop at 125 Hoai Thanh Street.  Located near the city’s University of Economics, this coffee shop is an ideal place for anyone who enjoys the pleasure of reading in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

In a similar vein, 24-year-old Nguyen Van Hoan has developed a non-profit project called “Wise Free Street Book Reading”.  In particular, he has given one million free-of-charge books, written by himself, entitled “A Perspective from a Young Person Who Dares Live Wholeheartedly”, and useful e-books entitled “Napoleon’s Secrets of Getting Rich” and “Secrets of Rich Students”.

Another local resident, 24-year-old Tran Thi Thu Nhi, is now running a free makeshift library at the city’s 29 March Park at weekends.  Visitors to the park, especially local young people and children, can either voraciously read their favourite books at this venue or borrow them for free to take home.  Nhi said that she always wants to inspire her customers to enjoy books.

Apart from offering coffee and other drinks, many local coffee shops are now providing a wide range of books for their customers to read.  These venues, including the Velo Book Café, the Book Café PNC and the Vello coffee shop, have proved very popular in the city.