BEIJING — The 2019 civil reading event was launched on April 20 in Beijing to promote reading among the public.

The event, including recitation and book recommendation activities, will focus on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the organizer of the event said.

During the World Book and Copyright Day which falls on April 23, public poetry recitation and classics reading events will also be held in Beijing.

The 2019 Beijing book fair was also launched on April 20.

An official with the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China said that Beijing has allocated special funds to support civil reading events and the operation of bookstores in recent years. In 2018, the government financially supported over 140 bookstores to improve public reading facilities.

More than 30,000 reading events were held last year, benefiting over 10 million readers, the official said.