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one of the supporting activities of the 2024 beijing cultural forum, the "i and ditan" beijing book fair was held in ditan park from september 13 to september 23. 400,000 kinds of books were exhibited and sold, and more than 100 cultural activities such as the ditan cultural lecture hall and the book fragrance mid-autumn night together formed a cultural feast, which was a blessing for "bookworms"!

visiting the ditan book fair is a major event in the cultural life of beijing citizens. as one of the "five altars and eight temples", ditan has witnessed the history of beijing for nearly 500 years and has always been a cultural landmark in people's hearts. in the 1990s, writer shi tiesheng wrote the famous article "i and ditan". this spiritual monologue has not only influenced generations of readers, but also given ditan another humanistic color. the common humanistic temperament makes the combination of ditan and the book fair a natural outcome, and has left a deep impression in the growing memories of countless beijingers. the hot and grand occasion after the reopening of the ditan book fair is enough to illustrate the great influence of cultural sentiments.

as a gathering place for scholars and writers in history, beijing has a strong cultural atmosphere, with book stalls and bookstores scattered everywhere. in the "east and west markets, north and south streets" (dong'an market, xidan shopping center, liulichang street, longfu temple street), there are countless masters who have lingered. lu xun wrote in his diary, "looking at old books, the prices are too high to buy, and i met many acquaintances."

the humanistic taste of intellectuals subtly guides social trends. many citizens have the habit of searching for, reading, and collecting books. some people say that visiting the book fair is like buying the first batch of chinese toon, making erba sauce, and pickling sugar garlic. it is a ritual of life for beijingers. although changes in reading habits have led to the decline of paper books, the book affinity of this city is deep and deep. a writer lamented, "beijing has many universities, libraries, bookstores, and people who love reading... it is especially easy to find three or five like-minded reading friends, which is one of the reasons why i love beijing." with a rich cultural heritage and the fragrance of books around the city, book lovers can live poetically here.

a person is "full of poetry and books, and the same is true for a city. the urban life that contemporary people yearn for is obviously not only about having towering skyscrapers, convenient transportation, and prosperous business, but also about the cultural atmosphere that can be felt with every breath. beijing is the national cultural center, and it has the responsibility and obligation to take the lead in improving the quality of urban culture. the creation of reading spaces is undoubtedly an important focus.

through cultural living rooms such as book markets and bookstores, people can read and search for books, listen to lectures, buy cultural creations, and meet book friends. this real pleasure cannot be provided by the virtual world. when the fragrance of books is more fully integrated into the urban texture and the lives of citizens, it will eventually settle into the soft power of this city. at present, beijing's per capita gdp is close to 30,000 us dollars. according to general international experience, this indicates that cultural consumption has entered an era of expansion. using books to drive traffic value and open up new space for the growth of related industries is becoming a useful experience to better meet the cultural needs of citizens and stimulate urban cultural consumption. it can be said that books are an important driving force for urban development in many dimensions.

the inherent connection of historical heritage, humanistic value and consumption potential has inspired beijing to work hard on the construction of a city of books. the unremitting investment of relevant departments in recent years has turned into a tangible sense of achievement. starting from the needs of a book lover, reading space is within reach. large libraries, comprehensive bookstores, 24-hour bookstores, and featured online celebrity bookstores, the diversified styles can always make people find what they like; cultural activities are constantly exciting, such as beijing october literature month, "beijing good books" recommendations, intangible cultural heritage experience, and tea brewing around the stove, which truly achieves the combination of education and entertainment; the circulation of used books is smoother, and the "old books new knowledge" brand continues to be polished. the used book exhibition and sales platform has revitalized reading resources... a set of combined punches has created a benign cultural ecosystem, allowing more and more beijing citizens to experience a lifestyle immersed in books.

a bookish society is not only created by bookstores, libraries and reading spaces, but also by the continuous accumulation of time. this fundamentally determines that it will take continuous efforts and a long-term approach to cultivate beijing's cultural charm. in view of the growing and increasingly diverse cultural needs, relevant departments need to continue to do a good job of addition.

take the circulation of used books for example. the activeness of the relevant market cannot rely purely on economic logic, but a more complete mechanism must be established to maintain the friendship of this circle. many people sell their used books like marrying off their daughters. they must find book lovers or institutions that are truly "suitable", but how can they contact them efficiently and conveniently? some used book recycling points often rely on book collections. can more points be set up and gradually normalized? we hope that relevant departments will continue to work hard and use pragmatic actions to demonstrate the sincerity and inner strength of cultural construction.

source: beijing daily client

process editor: u072