Bringing books into apartment blocks
The sixth Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Book Fair 2026, themed “I enjoy reading, I learn many good things”, was recently held at Sora Gardens Apartment Complex, Bình Dương ward.
The fair offered a wide range of engaging activities, including meetings with authors and Reading Ambassadors, storytelling and book‑inspired drawing sessions, STEM experiences, explorations of local history and culture, arts programmes for children, and numerous creative and experiential spaces for families.
In Dien Hong ward, the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House partnered with the local People’s Committee to launch the reading promotion movement and the 2026 children’s book fair at Xi Grand Court Apartment Complex.
A key feature of the programme was the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House and the Dien Hong Ward People’s Committee to develop reading culture, create reading spaces and bring books closer to residents, especially young people.
On this occasion, the Publishing House donated a children’s book cabinet containing 170 titles to Xi Grand Court residents, helping to create a useful reading space for children during the summer.
Ha Tuan Phuong, Vice‑Chairman of the Dien Hong Ward People’s Committee, remarked: “In today’s strongly digital age, access to information is easier than ever. Nevertheless, reading culture still plays a particularly important role. Reading not only accumulates knowledge but also trains thinking, develops creativity, language skills and lifelong learning habits. For children in particular, books are a door to a rich world of knowledge, helping them access lessons on patriotism, family affection, friendship, compassion, responsibility and aspiration in life.”
Reading not only accumulates knowledge but also trains thinking, develops creativity, language skills and lifelong learning habits. For children in particular, books are a door to a rich world of knowledge, helping them access lessons on patriotism, family affection, friendship, compassion, responsibility and aspiration in life.
According to Nguyen Thanh Loi, Director and Editor‑in‑Chief of the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House, the publisher hopes these seeds of knowledge will grow strongly and spread widely within the community. “In the time ahead, the Publishing House will expand strategic partnerships in reading‑promotion work to many more units and residential areas,” he pledged.
Building community bookcases for workers
In response to the sixth Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Book Fair 2026, Binh Duong Library collaborated with local authorities, the Management Board of Becamex Hoa Loi Social Housing and boarding‑house owners to donate three community bookcases at Becamex Hoa Loi Social Housing (Binh Duong ward), Nguyen Van Vuong’s boarding houses in Suoi Sau hamlet (Bac Tan Uyen commune) and Tran Dinh Cuong’s boarding houses in Thanh Binh neighbourhood (Thuan An ward).
With the aim of bringing knowledge closer to workers, labourers and their children living in boarding houses and social housing, the programme received strong support from agencies, businesses and readers. After more than two months since its launch, nearly 2,000 volumes covering life skills, law, healthcare, general science, literature and children’s books were collected, sorted and donated.
Each site received one display bookcase with 500 titles from Binh Duong Library, creating friendly reading spaces to serve learning, recreation and the spiritual life of residents.
Nguyen Van Vuong, owner of the boarding houses in Suoi Sau hamlet, Bac Tan Uyen commune, shared: “We are delighted and moved that our boarding houses were chosen as one of the locations to receive a community bookcase. This is a meaningful gift not only for the workers living here but also for the children.”
He expressed hope for continued support from authorities, sectors and Binh Duong Library to carry out more cultural activities that enable workers to access knowledge, enrich their spiritual life and build a united, compassionate community.
According to Nguyen Van Hue, Director of Binh Duong Library, the library will continue to cooperate with localities to scale up the community bookcase model to more residential areas, boarding houses and worker housing across the province.
The book fair not only provided a valuable cultural playground for the summer but also reaffirmed its commitment to bring books closer to people through practical service models embedded within residential communities.
He hoped the Management Board of Becamex Social Housing and boarding‑house owners would preserve and promote their effectiveness, turning them into friendly cultural addresses — places that connect people and provide wholesome communal activities, contributing to a healthy cultural life and spreading a reading culture.
The sixth Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Book Fair not only provided a valuable cultural playground for the summer but also reaffirmed its commitment to bring books closer to people through practical service models embedded within residential communities.
The donated books signify not only a sharing of knowledge but also the community’s spirit of responsibility and solidarity in caring for the cultural and spiritual lives of workers, labourers and children in housing estates and boarding houses.
This orientation is also important in building friendly cultural institutions, fostering reading culture at grassroots level, contributing to a learning society, raising the cultural and spiritual life of the people and nurturing the next generation of Ho Chi Minh City citizens in the new era.
