Shandong’s Yanggu Enhances Cultural Access through Resource Integration

LIAOCHENG, China, Jun. 23, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

“The breeze from the south of town may scatter the past, but not the emotions that linger…” At Yanggu County’s Workers’ Cultural Palace, 20 families joined the “Bookish Yanggu” parent-child reading event, diving into classic passages from Memories of the South of the City. Amid the children’s voices, cultural heritage thrives vibrantly.

“The Workers’ Book House at the Cultural Palace currently holds over 5,000 volumes, with regular updates tailored to workers’ interests. It may be a small space, but with just a few clicks, readers can search for any book available across the entire county,” said Lyu Zhen, director of the Cultural Palace.

“We’ve connected the systems of the county’s Workers’ Cultural Palace, Public Library, and Xinhua Bookstore, creating a shared network where the Book House offers seamless access to over 120,000 books. If a desired book isn’t found on-site, users can search holdings across institutions. If unavailable, they can request the title through the “Union Pays, You Choose” program to expand the library,” Lyu said.

In addition, the Cultural Palace regularly co-hosts events such as exhibitions, lectures, essay contests, and book clubs, with Xinhua Bookstore providing books, curation, and exclusive discounts to participating workers.

This year, the Yanggu Federation of Trade Unions launched a model site under its “Beyond the Palace” initiative — pioneering a joint operation between the cultural palace, library, and bookstore. This collaborative model of shared borrowing, shared returning, shared purchasing, and joint events has enriched both the content and format of cultural programs, offering workers and their families greater access and more diverse options for engagement.

Source: Yanggu County’s Workers’ Cultural Palace