Heping Shuyuan, Shanghai's first 24-hour park library, opened in Hongkou's Heping Park on April 23, the World Book Day.
Designed to be a city park reading hub within the lush, bird-song-filled environment, the library aims to illuminate the city's cultural spirit through the joy of reading.
The library consists of a theme pavilion, an art pavilion, and a central reading green space. The theme pavilion comprises a comprehensive hall, a children's hall and a teahouse, with a total planned area of nearly 10,000 square meters.
Li Qian, the Party Secretary of Hongkou emphasized that Heping Park bears witness to Shanghai's urban renewal journey and holds many generations of fond memories for the city's residents.
To further meet the public's needs for a better life, Hongkou has established the public library within the park. The initiative aims to blend culture and ecology into a diverse development model, enabling the public to enjoy the environment and cultivate a love for reading.
Renowned writer and scholar Bao Pengshan expressed hope that Heping Shuyuan, as a 24-hour park library, would not only be a place for knowledge and information exchange but also a hub for idea generation.
He envisioned the library as a cultural landmark that would attract citizens to immerse themselves in the joy of reading through its diverse activities.
During the ceremony, the China Environmental Publishing Group, one of the first donors, presented Heping Shuyuan with a donation of hundreds of popular science books for young readers.
The attending leaders and guests unveiled Heping Shuyuan and Heping Art Museum and inaugurated the museum's first exhibition. Several readers shared their reading experiences to promote reading at the library.
The project aims to implement the Shanghai government's requirements for building a Shanghai model of cultural confidence and strength. It aims to further the "People's City" and "Park City" concepts by creating a public cultural space that integrates culture and greenery, reading and walking, ecology and lifestyle.