IF you see long lines in front of the Shenzhen Library and its district outlets every day in the early morning, don’t be surprised because Shenzheners, be they students, employees or retirees, are passionately devoted to the quest of knowledge.

The Shenzhen Library and the Shenzhen Book City’s CBD Store are two popular destinations among locals on weekends since they are palaces of knowledge. With a collection of 4 million books, the Shenzhen Library aims at promoting the lifelong education of readers and holds regular activities to promote literary enjoyment. Shenzhen Book City’s CBD Store is a mega book mall that serves the public as a hangout place, where children and adults alike indulge in the knowledge contained in the pages.

There are also many stylish privately-run bookstores in town providing drinks, music and community events for young bookworms. And the Shenzhen Reading Month, the annual month-long reading festival in November, features thousands of cultural activities around the city, including lectures, book donations and book recommendations. The event has been held for 20 years, inspiring UNESCO to name the city a global model for the promotion of reading.

(SD News)