The 2022 Ningbo Reading Month started on April 1 in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, with nearly 200 reading activities set to be held across the city this month.

In 2020, Ningbo became the first city in Zhejiang province to launch a regulation to foster a love of reading among residents.

"The regulation was implemented in the city two years ago," said an official of the Publicity Department of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee, "The Reading Month event is held to encourage more people to read."

He added that Ningbo has been building itself into a city in which all residents can enjoy reading, whatever the time or place.

During the month-long event, activities such as seminars, book-sharing activities, poetry readings, salons and book exhibitions will be held.

At the launch ceremony, Gaoqiao town in the city's Haishu district was named the "Town of Books".

Over the past two years, Gaoqiao town has invested over 200 million yuan ($31.4 million) in building reading space­s.

To date, more than 5,000 square meters of reading area has been built in the town, including three reading spaces, five audio reading rooms, and 28 village bookstores where villagers can borrow books, while a nearly-1,400-square-meter library will open this month.

Meanwhile, several reading groups have been established in the town.

A man visits a photography exhibition entitled "Who is Reading" at Ningbo Library. [Photo/Ningbo Library]