Just two months later, on March 17, 2026, the Party Central Committee issued Directive 04-CT/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership over publishing activities in the new situation (Directive 04), identifying publishing as a "sharp ideological weapon," a pillar of an advanced culture rich in national identity, and an important driving force of the digital economy and cultural industry.
These two important documents create a synchronized policy framework, requiring localities, including Ho Chi Minh City - the economic engine and major cultural center of the country - to concretize them with practical solutions.
Among these, book-related activities (Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, Tet Book Street Festival, Book and Culture Night Festival, etc.) are the most effective models for implementing Resolution 80 and Directive 04. And in that context, we cannot fail to mention the Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair, one of the largest publishing events in the country, reaching regional prominence.
First organized in 2000, the 10th Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair (2018) brought together nearly 200 domestic and international publishing and book-making units with over 900 booths. In just 7 days, the 10th Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair set numerous publishing records, including displaying nearly 350,000 book titles with approximately 35 million copies; achieving book sales revenue of over 60 billion VND; organizing over 100 events, from author meet-and-greets and new book launches to book seminars and workshops; and attracting over 1 million readers…
More importantly, the Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair has transcended the boundaries of a mere book sales event, becoming a modern public cultural space that spreads reading culture, cultivates knowledge, shapes aesthetic sensibilities, and promotes the cultural industry.
For various reasons, especially the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair had to suspend its organization from 2020. However, this period of suspension also provided a pause for the Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair to reflect on itself, seek and build directions to maximize the significance of book fairs in Ho Chi Minh City in the new context.
How will book fairs return now that reading habits are changing, digital technology is booming, and the cultural industry has become a pillar of development?
The answer cannot be "to do it the way it was before." If the Ho Chi Minh City Book Fair returns, it needs to be positioned as a true "cultural festival - cultural industry festival." Resolution 80 and Directive 04 have opened up a sufficiently broad policy framework to realize this shift, transforming the book fair into a regular cultural institution with widespread influence, instead of isolated, short-term activities.
There, paper books remain the foundation, but they are no longer the sole focus. E-books, audiobooks, and online reading platforms need to be integrated; digital technology and virtual reality (VR/AR) can open up new reading experiences; and artistic activities, performances, and creative interactions must be designed to bring the public closer to knowledge. Book fairs are not just places to "view and buy books," but places to "live with knowledge."
On a broader scale, book fairs need to become a connecting point in the publishing industry value chain. Inviting international publishers to participate, promoting translation, co-publishing, and copyright sales will help elevate the event and create momentum for Vietnamese books to reach the world . Particular attention should be paid to "exporting books," primarily through the translation of famous Vietnamese works into foreign languages.
To achieve these goals, it is necessary to continue improving policy mechanisms and resources, allocating stable budgets for book fair infrastructure, providing tax incentives, and supporting interest rates for participating businesses. Simultaneously, it is crucial to build a close coordination mechanism between leadership and management agencies, professional associations in publishing, and businesses to create a sustainable cultural industry chain; and to develop solutions to measure public and reader satisfaction levels to make timely adjustments, ensuring that book fairs truly become a "bridge" between culture and people's lives.
A book fair, if organized properly, is not just a story about the publishing industry. It's a story about how a city nurtures knowledge, shapes tastes, and builds a cultural foundation for long-term development. When culture truly becomes an endogenous resource, every book opened becomes a door to the future.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/lam-moi-thuong-hieu-hoi-sach-tphcm-post846358.html
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