“Put Down Your Phone and Read” Public Welfare Cultural Initiative: Guiding Reading in the Digital Age

HARBIN, China, Sept. 12, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

The “Put Down Your Phone and Read” public welfare cultural project, jointly launched by the Publicity Department of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee, Xinhua Bookstore, Xinhua News Agency Heilongjiang Branch, and Heilongjiang Daily Press Group, has been promoting a new model of reading culture in the digital era.

Currently, nearly 5,000 offline reading activities have been held across the province, with direct participation exceeding one million. Over 1,100 new media products have been launched, reaching an online audience of more than 60 million.

In March this year, the initiative was promoted nationwide, encouraging the public to “spend half an hour each day putting down their phones to read.” During World Book Day, Heilongjiang hosted province-wide themed reading-sharing sessions, guiding local organizations to hold over a thousand activities. The initiative also participated in six national exhibitions, including the 2025 World Brand Moganshan Conference, attracting readers from multiple countries.

In August, the project organized over 60 summer reading camps for primary and secondary schools across the province under the theme “Give Me Three Days, and I’ll Give You a Child Who Loves Reading.” This campaign sparked more than 3,200 themed activities throughout Heilongjiang, reaching around 100,000 teachers, parents, and students.

The project does not reject digital technology; instead, it advocates building a new reading ecosystem that integrates print and digital media, helping the public cultivate good reading habits.

Video link:

https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/12722019?docid=12722019&newstype=1001&d=135011c&channel=weixin

Source: Publicity Department of the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee