Zhangjiagang is committed to reading accessibility and promoting a literacy culture across urban and rural areas. The city is narrowing the cultural gap between communities through millions of book circulations.
A branch library in Zhangjiagang. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
In recent years, Zhangjiagang has developed a three-tier reading service network consisting of a central library, branch libraries, and service points, rooting cultural infrastructure in grassroots communities. So far, the city has introduced 28 district and subdistrict library branches, 132 rural reading rooms, 110 community libraries, 60 off-site service locations, and 58 "24-hour Library Stations".
Zhangjiagang, a pioneer in reading promotion, released the country's first national standard for public reading service capabilities and launched Suzhou's first township-level reading promotion association, introducing new mechanisms to boost literacy.
Further enhancing accessibility, Suzhou's unified "Citywide Reading Card" initiative has been implemented, enabling Zhangjiagang residents to borrow books across the region with a single card.
In 2025, under the theme "The Right Time to Read", Zhangjiagang is set to host nearly 400 reading events to bring the scent of books into every corner of the city.