Qingtian county in Lishui, Zhejiang province, is transforming into a city of reading by combining its rich coffee culture with a countywide push for reading engagement.

As a prominent hometown of overseas Chinese, Qingtian has elevated public reading into a cultural strategy, branding itself as "fragrant coffee, city of reading".

An aerial view of Qingtian county in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The 2026 campaign features book fairs, poetry recitals, online exchanges, and cross-border reading sessions.

Jingyun Bridge hosted a bustling book fair with over 20 stalls featuring books, creative goods, and coffee on April 19. A reading zone resounded with classic Chinese poetry, while an actor portraying the ancient sage Liu Ji engaged children in ancient-style verse games.

International guests participated as well, reciting Chinese prose and highlighting the event's global flair. An online dialogue also connected a local reading promoter with a Qingtian writer in Austria, spreading Qingtian's stories across continents.

International guests participate in the book fair in Qingtian county in Lishui, Zhejiang province, on April 19. [Photo/Tide News]

The county has integrated more than 300 cafes into its public reading network, converting them into micro-libraries. Reading spaces now extend to schools, factories, banks, and rural guesthouses.

In 2025, Qingtian hosted 300 reading events. Six overseas Qingtian Book Cafes have been established in Europe, stocking over 15,000 Chinese cultural volumes and attracting international audiences.