- With the theme "Books and Integration", the Hanoi Book Festival 2016 opened in the morning of 6th Oct.2016 in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel (No. 19C Hoang Dieu Street, Hanoi).
Banner of the book festival
The Hanoi Book Festival 2016 is organized by the Department of Information and Communication of Hanoi in collaboration with central agencies, with the participation of many publishers, libraries and booksellers. The Book Festival is to celebrate 62 years since the liberation of the capital (10th Oct. 1954-10th Oc. 2016); as well as marks more than 20 years of Vietnam joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the first years of the establishment of the ASEAN Community.
The book festival exhibition focuses on two main themes: The first theme "Hanoi and the ASEAN countries" displays and recommends books, photographs, publications on cultural traditions, history, and the co-operation between Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general with the other member countries of ASEAN community; the second theme "Sea, islands of Vietnam" exhibits books, photographs, maps and documents confirming the maritime sovereignty of Vietnam, including books, photos and documents on the activities of Hanoi with Spratly islands
In addition, the book festival has 170 booths of more than 46 publishers, booksellers in the country and 20 foreign publishing brands, with a rich variety of genres such as children's books, literary, culture and society; economics, science - technique; foreign language, ebooks and digital devices ...

Mr. Do Quy Doan, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Information and Communication, provided additional information, from up to the end of this year, Hanoi would have a book road in order to create the environment for publishers and booksellers promote their products and exchange with readers; the public can also facilitate exposure to books, authors and publishers, creating reliable cultural address, stimulating Hanoi readers’ reading culture. The book road would focus on public elements and exchange, and would not emphasize on doing business so that readers could have a book space.
Discounted book sale is an indispensable part of this book festival. Also, here, readers will have opportunities to talk and exchange with various authors, cultural researchers and attend the exciting and impressive launches and introductions of new books.
Other activities of the Hanoi Book Festival includes awarding the competition "Ambassadors of the Capital’s Reading Culture 2016 " for teenagers and children in the city; screening documentary films introducing intangible cultural heritages of Hanoi (with English subtitles) and some talk shows in English under the theme "Hanoi in the foreigners’ eyes "(co-produced by the Digital Television VTC) ... Besides, there are recreational areas such as tea book, calligraphy, portraiture, etc.
This year, the organizing committee of the book festival continue to collaborate with the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the Hanoi Youth Union encouraging schools, Youth Unions establishments and other units and reader to donate books for school libraries and the postal points in mountainous communes or areas of special difficulties in northern mountainous provinces, for soldiers and people of the island districts of Spratly, Ly Son and so on.
The book festival lasts until 10th Oct. 2016.
THANH AN
(Translated by THUY NGUYEN)