April 23, 2025, marked the 30th World Book Day and the 10th Shenzhen Minors’ Reading Day. To celebrate the occasion, Yantian District hosted a special event highlighting reading and cultural heritage, including the official launch of the “4.23” World Book Day initiative and the opening of a lighthouse photography exhibition.

At the opening ceremony, Yantian released its 2024 public reading statistics, highlighting a strong local reading culture. The district reported more than 1,500 square meters of public library space per 10,000 residents—five times the provincial average. On average, each resident visited libraries 9.13 times per year, eight times more than the provincial norm. Library holdings reached 3.96 volumes per person—3.4 times the provincial figure—and residents borrowed an average of 1.9 books annually, double the provincial rate. Notably, nearly 70% of Yantian’s permanent residents follow the district library’s official WeChat account, ranking it among the top in the province for public engagement.

Following the launch, the Yantian District Library opened the lighthouse photography exhibition by Liang Erping in its central atrium. The exhibition features rare lighthouse images captured by marine-culture scholar Liang Erping during his voyage around the Southern Hemisphere, offering a unique visual narrative of maritime history and exploration.

The event also included a cultural forum, featuring a dialogue that provided in-depth perspectives on the significance of lighthouses in maritime culture.