Volunteers read aloud at the opening ceremony of a reading festival for farmers in Haimen district on Sept 18. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A reading festival for farmers was launched in Xingbai village in Zhengyu town, Haimen district on Sept 18, with nearly 100 locals taking part in the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony featured a singing and dancing performance by kindergarten students, guzheng (Chinese zither) performances, calligraphy performances, and recitals.

Text games and a Q&A session themed around reading pushed the activity to an exciting climax. A total of 16 participants won first, second, and third-place prizes.

Organizers said that the event was meant to promote reading among local farmers, and a number of similar events have been held across Haimen. The local government has also established hundreds of rural reading rooms and self-service libraries to enrich people’s life.