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

Book lovers at the event

A local club called ‘Live to Love One Another’ recently organised the exciting Book Exchange Festive Day 2017 in recognition of the Viet Nam Book Day (21 April). 

This event took place at the Tran Hung Dao Junior High School in Hai Chau District, and it attracted the participation of about 500 club members and local book lovers.  Before the event took place, the club members had received over 1,000 used books donated by local residents. 

Apart from book exchanges, this meaningful festival featured a wide range of fascinating activities, including paper folding arts and interesting contests about Vietnamese literature and general knowledge of famous books and their authors.  There were also stands introducing a wide range of eye-catching bookmarks and lovely handmade items.

Student Tran Thanh Toan from the University of Economics was the head of the Festival’s organising board.  He remarked that book swapping provides an inexpensive way for people to exchange books, find out about their favourite books, and obtain new books to read for free.  He hoped that the idea would be expanded into other localities in future years.

Club member Nguyen Le Minh Khue, a Year 10 pupil from the Le Quy Don High School for Gifted Students, remarked that the good deed of offering books to others is considered a sign of humanitarian love.  She affirmed that books are truly indispensable spiritual friends to everyone, and a healthy reading habit should be further promoted in Viet Nam, and in the world as a whole.

Inspired by the launch of the ‘little free libraries’ model in several countries worldwide, the ‘Book Box’ project, involving placing boxes of free books in certain locations, has been organised since 2014 in Hai Chau District. 

Anyone can read books from the boxes placed in coffee shops or at foreign language centres in the district, and they can take them home for as long as they wish.  All they need to do is replace the book they take with one of their own.

The Son Tra District authorities have also organised many book festivals, and they have drawn a great deal of attention from local residents.  Thanks to this, the local demand for books has increased considerably.