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Dec 21, 2016 / 13:00

December 19 street to be a reading square in Hanoi

Hanoi’s Book Street will open on April 21 - the Vietnam Book Day on December 19 street, according to the municipal Department of Information and Communication.

A project on the book street in Hanoi was officially launched on December 19, known as the First Indochina War Day, when the French renewed hostilities against Vietnam on December 19, 1946.
 
At the launching ceremony.
At the launching ceremony. Photo by Linh Anh
The book street will offer book cafes, reading spaces, book talks and exchanges between authors and audiences.
The area will also be avenue for new book release as well as activities to encourage book reading culture. 
 "Although Hanoi city has streets of Nguyen Xi and Dinh Le dedicated to book stalls, the streets merely sell books. So, writers and readers in the capital are needed a space to exchange, learn and share about their valuable and antique books," poet Bang Viet shared.
Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District Duong Duc Tuan stressed that along with streets selling books and book festivals during holidays, the district expects to have more space to promote reading culture of the local residents.
The December 19 street links Hai Ba Trung and Ly Thuong Kiet streets in downtown Hanoi.
The city’s authorities have asked concerned agencies to spread information about the venue, control the origins and contents of the books available at the street as well as invite publishers and books stores to set up stalls on the street.
The book street will have up to 20 stalls and remain open between 8am and 10pm. The area will offer book cafes, reading spaces, book talks and exchanges between authors and audiences.
The city's leaders are considering hanging bookshelves on street walls to help people collect books more easily and create more space for readers.
Besides, there will be activities to introduce interesting books and also talk shows on books.
The funding for creating the book street and organizing related events will come from the city’s budget.
Hanoi Department of Information and Communications will be responsible for managing the content of books. Book stalls are available for publishers and booksellers at a fee.
Depending on the actual operation of the fixed book street, another mobile book street will be held at the weekend pedestrian zone near Ly Thai To Park next to Hoan Kiem Lake.
The book street creates a unique part of pedestrian malls and will stimulate a reading culture among people in the city.
The book street is part of Hanoi's plans to maximize cultural values in the city.