The humanistic journey of reading culture

VHO - When a book is placed in the hands of young children at the right time, knowledge is no longer a distant concept but becomes a source of light that nourishes their souls. On the largest scale ever, the 6th Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair in 2026 has brought books beyond familiar spaces to apartment buildings, workers' dormitories, hospitals, shelters, and many disadvantaged areas, opening up a humane journey of reading culture where every child has the opportunity to touch the pages of loving books.

Opening Ceremony of the 6th Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair 2026

Bringing books to every living space.

The book fair was held simultaneously at three main locations: the Ho Chi Minh City General Science Library, the Sora Gardens complex in Binh Duong ward, and the Vung Tau Book Street. In addition, supporting activities took place at the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, Thu Duc Book Street, and the Cu Chi Book Space. This widespread distribution reflects the organizers' efforts to bridge the gap in access to knowledge, bringing books to children from the city center to the suburbs, from modern urban areas to remote regions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan said that this year's book fair is the largest ever. The venue has been expanded beyond traditional cultural institutions such as libraries and book streets, to reach children in residential areas, apartment buildings, social housing, workers' dormitories, hospitals, and other disadvantaged areas.

According to Mr. Tran The Thuan, the 6th Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair is especially significant as it marks the first year since the city's development space was merged. Through the book fair, children have more opportunities to interact, connect, and learn about the historical traditions, culture, and development achievements of the land where they live and study.

Mr. Tran The Thuan emphasized: "Each book that reaches the children today will contribute to nurturing their souls, enriching their knowledge, inspiring their aspirations and creative spirit." Based on this orientation, the book fair opens up a new dimension, where books become a bridge between knowledge, love, and community responsibility.

A clear example is the continued flexible implementation of models that integrate books into daily life. Following the success of the book fair model at Vista Verde apartment complex, the "Apartment Book Fair" model has been expanded to Ehome3 apartment complex in An Lac ward; Xi Grand Court in Dien Hong ward; and The CBD in Cat Lai ward. Not limited to modern urban areas, the organizers have also brought books to workers' dormitories, social housing, hospitals, shelters, and social welfare facilities. This journey helps many poor children and children with special circumstances access valuable knowledge right in their own living spaces.

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Notably, this year's book fair features, for the first time, a dedicated area for visually impaired children, equipped with Braille books, audiobooks, embossed illustrated books, and modern information access aids. Simultaneously, they can experience STEM science, control robots, interact with artificial intelligence (AI), participate in creative workshops, and attend life skills education courses. These activities help transform the book fair into an open space where children can read, play, explore, and learn how to enter the world of knowledge through various paths.

The reading space and activities attracted a large number of children to participate in the "Community Bookcase" donation program.

Extending the journey of sowing seeds of compassion.

Amidst the vibrant atmosphere of the festival, stories of love and compassion left a lasting impression. At the opening ceremony, the story of Ms. Huynh Thanh Thao, the founder of "Co Ba Mini Library," touched the hearts of many readers. Despite never having attended school due to physical disabilities, Ms. Thao overcame adversity with unwavering determination. Starting with 50 old storybooks, she accumulated enough to open a small bookshelf to share with children in her neighborhood. Thanks to the community's support, what began as a small bookshelf has grown into a spacious library with thousands of books and free classes.

"My library was built with love. There are people who travel over 40km just to bring a few books as gifts. It is these acts of kindness that give me more motivation to continue sowing the love of reading in children," Thanh Thao shared emotionally.

This humanitarian spirit continues to spread through the "Community Bookcase" donation program, an activity that has received support from many agencies, businesses, and readers. Receiving this meaningful gift, Mr. Nguyen Van Vuong, the owner of a boarding house in Suoi Sau hamlet, Bac Tan Uyen commune, said that this is a great joy for the workers and children in the boarding house. He affirmed that he will cooperate in maintaining the bookcase well, and at the same time encourage residents, workers, and children to regularly come and read, together building a cultural living environment.

Mr. Vuong also expressed his hope to continue receiving the support of all levels, sectors, and the Binh Duong Library so that workers have more opportunities to access knowledge, improve their spiritual lives, and strengthen solidarity and camaraderie in the locality. From these bookshelves, knowledge is brought to the outskirts, while contributing to the formation of close and warm cultural spaces in community life.

Beyond just book donations, this year's book fair also addressed practical issues in the context of rapidly developing technology. Given the allure of digital screens, nurturing a love of physical books in children has become a concern for many families. Panel discussions such as "Sowing the Seeds of Book Love in Children: Understanding Good Books, Appreciating Beautiful Books, and Creating with Books" and "What Takes a Vietnamese Picture Book Far?" attracted a large number of readers, parents, and book publishers. This provided an open dialogue space where education experts, authors, illustrators, and parents sought ways to help children balance the technological world with the enduring values ​​of reading culture.

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Going beyond the scope of a typical annual cultural event, the 6th Ho Chi Minh City Children's Book Fair in 2026 is shaping a broader mission. From bringing books to suburban areas and efforts to expand "Apartment Book Fairs," to providing compassionate scholarships and delivering over 1,000 pages of books directly to child patients at Children's Hospital 1 and other shelters, all demonstrate a long-term, humane strategy of the city's cultural sector.

It's a journey to bring books closer to children, so that no child is left behind in the light of knowledge. Because, as the event's message conveyed: "Every page of a book opens a horizon of knowledge - Every child today is the future of the city tomorrow."

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/xuat-ban/hanh-trinh-nhan-van-cua-van-hoa-doc-241313.html