The opening ceremony saw the presence of Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen and Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Head of the PCC’s Commission for Communication and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, Lam Dinh Thang, said a new and interesting thing at this year’s festival is that more than 16,000 books will be presented as gifts for visitors. Organisers hope that presenting books as gifts will become a popular practice for the local political system, people, and businesses.
For more than ten years, the Book Street Festival has become a unique and typical cultural event of Ho Chi Minh City every Tet, giving domestic and foreign visitors a springtime destination and helping promote reading habits in the local community.
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Delegates pose for a souvenir photo at the Southern art space. |
With dragon-themed decorations, the annual festival is held on Le Loi Street and covers 11,200 sq.m, over 3,000 sq.m larger than last year’s event. It sees the participation of more than 30 publishers and distributors who will introduce about 65,000 books to visitors.
Among the three main zones, Zone A (from Nguyen Hue Street to Pasteur Street) displays unique publications and photos, as well as rare and valuable books. Zone B (from Pasteur to Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street) is reserved for technology in the book industry like audio and electronic books. Meanwhile, Zone C (from Nam Ky Khoi Nghia to the Quach Thi Trang roundabout) includes book pavilions, an entertainment area for children, and a rest area for visitors.
The Tet Book Street Festival 2024 is scheduled to last through February 14 (the fifth day of the Year of the Dragon).
