Residents read books at the reading event in Baotou. [Photo/Baotou news network]

April 23 marks World Book Day. The 12th Deer City Reading Festival opened in Baotou previous day, April 22.

The theme of this year's reading festival is "nourishing the nation's mind and cultivating cultural confidence".

At the launch ceremony for the festival, the Beijing Weilan Welfare Foundation donated books to the sum of 5 million yuan ($725,597) to the Baotou Library; the publicity department of the Baotou municipal Party committee donated books to the sum of 50,000 yuan to Guyang Xincheng Primary School; the Baotou bureau of culture, tourism, radio and television presented the education bureaus of Hondlon, Qingshan, Donghe, Jiuyuan districts, and the education bureau of the Baotou Rare Earth High-tech Industrial Development Zone with 800 free library cards each.

At the same time, related municipal government departments also issued certificates to the winners of the 2023 Baotou primary and secondary school letter contest.

During the event, an additional 15 activities took place, such as book exhibitions, book signings and reading promotion.

Wu Erzhu, an official from the publicity department of the Baotou municipal Party committee, said that relevant government departments and schools in the city will carry out various reading activities to encourage the residents to read more.