Macao launches citywide reading week to promote reading culture

MACAO, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government launched a reading campaign week with an opening ceremony held on Thursday at the Macao Cultural Center.

Jointly organized by the SAR government's cultural affairs bureau (IC), the education and youth development bureau and the social welfare bureau, the event, running from April 20 to 26, features a wide range of activities aimed at fostering a reading culture across the city.

According to the IC, the reading week introduces a "10-minute reading" initiative that includes incentive schemes and reading corners. A series of extended activities from April to May will also be held, such as workshops, book clubs, parent-child reading sessions, themed book fairs and award ceremonies.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Leong Wai Man, head of the IC, said the bureau has actively responded to national initiatives by upgrading its existing program into this year's reading week, positioning it as a new cultural brand to help build Macao into a "city of reading" and promote the high-quality development of public cultural services.

China's regulation to promote public reading, which was issued last December and took effect on Feb. 1, designates the fourth week of April each year as national reading week, encouraging reading activities nationwide.