A launch ceremony for the annual reading festival is held in Rudong county, Nantong, in Jiangsu province, on April 21. [Photo/rudong.gov.cn]

The launch ceremony for the annual reading festival was held at Rudong county in Nantong, in Jiangsu province on April 21.

The reading festival was established to welcome World Book and Copyright Day, which falls on April 23 every year.

The festival, first established in 2014, has won great popularity among people in the area.

According to the local government, the festival will begin in late April and conclude in late October.

During the period various government organs, schools, companies and residential communities will organize activities -- including lectures, reading competitions and sharing sessions -- to help boost local interest in reading.

Zhang Rongrong, director of the publicity department in Rudong, explained that the local government is committed to expanding its reading resources and improve the overall reading environment, with the aim of enhancing the reading rate in the area.

The local authorities are also welcoming partnerships with social capital, to establish cultural facilities to meet the increasing demand for reading.

The ceremony also announced a list of the 10 most popular books in Rudong, as well as 10 reading promotional programs.