After eight years of preparation, the dream of the first and only "co-construction of the library and the bookstore” in Taiwan has finally come true! In order to be in line with Mayor Chen Chih-Mai's attention to the cultural and creative industry, the "Cultural and Creative Industries Hall of Kaohsiung Public Library”, which opened in September, will create a new form of public library operation and enhance the overall urban reading experience. The first "Kaohsiung Reading Festival” is jointly organized by Kaohsiung Public Library and Bleu & Book. In this modern era of technology, the romantic encounter of "library on the left and bookstore on the right" is created in the most original and pure way through reading that cannot be achieved by playing on the phone.

Shi Zhe, Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung City, said that the Kaohsiung Public Library is not only the creator of the new library movement in Taiwan, but now it is also the first in the country to create a cultural and creative library in the form of a BOT to cover the operating costs of the publishing industry and to extend the concept of public lending rights by pouring royalties into the operation of the main library. The library is not simply a sanctuary for preserving the fire of civilization and a public domain for knowledge flow; it demonstrates brand new humanistic values through the co-construction with different reading venues.

The key visual of the“2022 Kaohsiung Reading Festival: Library on the Left, Bookstore on the Right” echoes the event of this year's “Taiwan Design Expo” in Kaohsiung. It is designed by the famous designer Apu Jan, the art director of the brand marketing team of “APUJAN”. He combines the color of the blue sky and the deep ocean to show the city image of "Kaohsiung": clear sky with bright color and open-mindedness. The book-shaped building and wave design together deliver the message that “reading is like an adventure of daily life which takes you to different places between imagination and reality.”

Fu Meng-po, the winner of the Best Actor Award of the Golden Bell Awards, was invited to be the endorser this year. Mr. Fu has a deep connection with Kaohsiung since a number of his films were shot in Kaohsiung. He participated in “Kaohsiung Shorts”, a short film project, as a nominee of the Golden Horse Awards in 2018. He has also attended Kaohsiung Film Festival for three times. He believes that “reading definitely carries an important meaning, which is 'quietness'. It helps us face the life that is changing drastically at any time.” Compared with the imagination of designer Apu Jan for reading, his inner meaning for reading is equally profound.

The publicity film of "Kaohsiung City Book Exhibition" will be released soon. It will show a different urban landscape with the romantic encounter of the library and the bookstore. The 2022 Kaohsiung Reading Festival is the beginning of the two important reading venues that will officially create a new reading landscape for Kaohsiung.

For the latest news, please follow the official website of Kaohsiung Public Library or Facebook for the latest event information.