VietNamNet Bridge – An array of activities will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to observe the second Vietnam Book Day (April 21).

The Vietnam Book Day is held to affirm the values books can bring to humanity and to encourage Vietnam’s reading culture.

In the capital city of Hanoi, a book fair will be organised at Thong Nhat Park from 8 am to 9 pm on April 17.

The five-day event will feature around 150 booths showcasing tens of thousands of book titles by over 100 publishing houses and printing companies nationwide.

The publications are of various genres and include children’s books, books on literature, economics, science and technology, ebooks and books in foreign languages. They will be sold at discounted prices for visitors.

The National Library of Vietnam (NLV) will also host another book fair from April 18 to May 10 at its headquarters at 31 Trang Thi Street, Hoan Kiem District.

Visitors to the event will have a chance to meet and talk with authors, literary critics and historians, while children will be invited to take part in storytelling and illustrating competitions.

The NLA will receive books from organisations, book stores and publishing houses to enrich its resources. It will also take the occasion to present books from its collection to libraries in poor areas in the country.

An exhibition themed ‘National Unification’ will open on April 27 at General Sciences Library of Ho Chi Minh City.

The exhibition will introduce around 10,000 book titles and documents on the national resistance war against the US and the general offensive and spring 1975 uprising. Publications on display will also feature Vietnam’s achievements during the integration process.

The Prime Minister in 2014 declared April 21 as Vietnam Book Day to affirm the values books can bring to humanity and to encourage Vietnam’s reading culture.

Nhan Dan