Vietnam sees increase in reading enjoyment

Numerous efforts have been made to encourage reading habit among young Vietnamese people, especially in the digital era when more entertainment forms are available and reading enjoyment declines.
Vietnam sees increase in reading enjoyment ảnh 1Hanoi Book Fair draws crowds of visitors (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) –Numerous efforts have been made to encourage reading habit among young Vietnamese people, especially in the digital era when more entertainment forms are available and reading enjoyment declines.

Being a mother of a three-year-old daughter in Hanoi, Tran Thuy Hang spends most of her free time reading books for her kid rather than let her play with a smartphone. Hang also takes her little girl to every book fair held in the capital city so that she can play with books, choose favourite books and gradually develop her love for reading.
“I let my daughter play with books when she was six months old. Now at her age of three, she has her own shelf full of books,” Hang said.

Vietnam sees increase in reading enjoyment ảnh 2Hang takes her little girl to every book fair in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

According to Hang, domestic publishers are doing great to make more young people and children frequent readers. They offer books of various subjects and designs with good contents.

“Books for children are so diversified and attractive, particularly 3D books. They are full of pictures, colours and surprises,” Hang said.
Hang is among young Vietnamese people who have motivated their kids to read more books rather than let them play with computers or smartphones for fun. Their efforts have contributed to improving reading culture in the country after a shocking statistics released in 2013 showed that each Vietnamese person reads less than a book per year on average. 

Vietnam sees increase in reading enjoyment ảnh 3Books of various subjects and designs are offered to attract readers (Photo: VNA)

Over recent years, concerted efforts have been made nationwide to revive reading culture. Book fairs and festivals have been organised annually on international, national and local scales. As the result, reading enjoyment has increased strongly among people of all ages.

Trinh The Duy, a student of Hanoi Foreign Language University has the habit to read books every night before bed. He finds reading very important for a language student like him. Reading is sometimes a way of reducing stresses.

Domestic publishers have been making a great contribution to making more children frequent readers by offering more interesting and eye-catching paper books.
Technology also helps bring books closer to readers with more free e-books, reading machines and software. 
Vietnam sees increase in reading enjoyment ảnh 4Bibox is the first reading tool ever introduced in Vietnam, using e-ink screen, which is safer for readers than LCD screen (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Manh Hung, chairman of the Thai Ha Book Co., is very positive about reading culture in Vietnam. Hung said: “We have seen the greatest efforts made over the past years to make young people and children discover the power and joy of reading and the highest number of readers ever.”

Hung elaborated that more books had been published and sold and more talks about books had been held.

According to Hung, reading is among the most sustainable ways to gain knowledge of the history and future technologies.

“You watch TV or read newspapers, you only get information. But if you want to get knowledge, you have to read books. There is no alteration,” Hung said.

Vietnam sees increase in reading enjoyment ảnh 5Dr Nguyen Manh Hung (R) and Tha Tun Oo, president of the Myanmar Publishing Association (L), at the panel discussion (Photo: VNA)

Encouraging reading is among key priorities in many ASEAN countries, including Malaysia whose capital city of Kuala Lumpur has been named as the World Book Capital by UNESCO, Tha Tun Oo, president of the Myanmar Publishing Association told a panel discussion about ASEAN reading culture as part of the ongoing Hanoi Book Festival.

In Indonesia, children are required to read at least 15 minutes before classes at school. The Indonesian Government funds numerous national book fairs to encourage the public to read and gives discount vouchers to students so they can buy books at cheaper prices, he said.

“We can see reading enjoyment is increasing very fast in Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi,” said Tha Tun Oo, who is also the former Chairman of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association.

He expressed his hope that Hanoi, as the historical and cultural capital of Vietnam, will become the regional book capital in the future.-VNA
VNA

See more

Delegates take group photo with the Executive Board of the Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia, 2024-2029 tenure. (Photo: VNA)

Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia debuts

The Vietnamese Association in Russia has been developed into the Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia, reflecting the diversity and size of the 100,000-strong Vietnamese community in Russia.

A wind farm in the northern province of Binh Thuan. (Photo: VNA)

Transition to sustainability an urgent task: policymakers

Vietnam’s transition to a sustainable economy is not only an urgent task but also a strategic opportunity to enhance competitiveness, improve quality of life and protect the environment, said policymakers at the recent 2024 Workers’ Forum for the Environment in Hanoi.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi attends a presentation of essays on Vietnam by students at the Higher Education Institute of Brasilia (IESB) of Brazil on December 12, 2024. (Photo: VNA)

Brazilian students interested in learning about Vietnam

Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi attended a presentation of essays by 44 students majoring in international relations at the Higher Education Institute of Brasilia (IESB) of Brazil on December 12 at the invitation of its director Dr. Luiz Claudio Costa.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Naoki Ito (Photo: VNS/VNA)

Japan set on improving Vietnamese workers’ conditions

The Japanese Government is committed to creating happier and better living conditions for Vietnamese workers to help them contribute more effectively to Japanese society and the economy, according to Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Naoki Ito.

At the closing ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese language teachers abroad complete training in Hanoi

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV) wrapped up the 2024 training course on Vietnamese language teaching for Vietnamese teachers abroad, the 12th edition of its kind, in Hanoi on December 13.

PM Pham Minh Chinh issues an official dispatch, asking ministries and sectors to take critical steps to strengthen road safety regulations. (Photo: VNA)

PM calls for enhanced traffic safety measures nationwide

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an official dispatch, highlighting critical steps that ministries, sectors and localities must take to reduce traffic accidents and strengthen road safety regulations.

Overseas Vietnamese join the Homeland Spring 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA)

Homeland Spring 2025 programme to take place from January 18-21

The Homeland Spring 2025 programme is slated to take place in Hanoi from January 18-21, or from the 19th to the 22nd of the last lunar month of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.

Agencies sign agreements to implement the project at the conference. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City pilots international-standard human resources training

A conference to review the implementation of sub-projects under a project on training international-standard human resources and the shared university initiative in Ho Chi Minh City was held by the municipal People's Committee on December 12.

Binh Dinh's Border Guard medical workers conduct an initial health check-up for the foreign sailor. (Photo: Binh Dinh Newspaper)

Foreign sailor brought ashore for emergency medical treatment

Competent forces in the south-central province of Binh Dinh have successfully rescued a foreign sailor who had suffered serious injuries and brought him ashore for emergency medical care, the provincial Border Guard Command reported on December 12.

The press conference about the presentation ceremony for the Vietnam National Quality Awards and Asia-Pacific Quality Awards for 2021-2023 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi to host Asia-Pacific quality awards ceremony

The ceremony to present the Vietnam National Quality Awards and Asia-Pacific Quality Awards for 2021-2023 will be held in Hanoi on December 18, heard a press conference in the capital city on December 12.