In 2025, Yantai's public libraries record a total of 1.27 million book checkouts. [Photo/WeChat account: zsyttv]

Yantai in East China's Shandong province kicked off its 2026 National Reading Week on April 20, marking the implementation of China's newly enacted National Reading Promotion Regulations.

The weeklong celebration features stage performances, recitation galas, and interactive reading salons. Renowned writers including Guan Renshan — a winner of the Lu Xun Literary Prize, one of China's top literary honors — shared insights on the lasting value of reading classics.

Yantai, a historic coastal city and seven-time recipient of the "National Civilized City" title, has long cherished a literary tradition. The city is building a "Reading-Friendly Yantai" brand through digital platforms, community engagement, and rural outreach.

Signature initiatives like "Spray Reading" and the "Bingxin Reading Season" — named after a beloved Chinese children's author who called Yantai her spiritual hometown — have gained wide popularity. The Yantai Library hosts annual reading festivals, while thousands of reading promoters organize over 10,000 events each year in total.

With a 15-minute reading circle — a community network ensuring access to reading spaces within a 15-minute walk from people's homes — being rolled out citywide, Yantai is weaving reading into the very fabric of urban life, making it a shared habit and a defining cultural signature of the city.