Come to interesting knowledge "gardens"

There is a saying "A book holds a house of gold" to affirm the priceless value of books. In fast-paced, modern life, no matter how much technology develops, it still can't replace the fragrant, ink-colored pages of a book. Books still have a very special place in the hearts of enthusiasts, knowledge seekers, and there are always reading spaces - interesting knowledge "gardens" for people to explore.

Young people reading books at Phuong Nam Bookstore, Aeon Mall Binh Duong (Thuan An City).

Bookstore becomes library

Nowadays, many people are drifting away from the habit of reading books. Reading culture is being influenced and transformed by the development of science and technology, the internet, and social networks. But somewhere, many people in Binh Duong are still fascinated by reading books, considering books as companions on the path of knowledge discovery. Gone are the days when going to a bookstore was just standing outside to admire, tell the name of the book you bought to the saleswoman, just turn a few pages quickly and decide to buy it right away; or wriggle between cramped bookshelves, read stealthily, and hastily leave them on the shelves when the bookstore staff discovers. Many bookstores now design elegant, quiet reading spaces, and no staff members seem annoyed or come to remind customers of reading too long.

Quietly in the middle of the bustling Aeon Mall Binh Duong (Thuan An City), Phuong Nam Bookstore with an extremely unique and beautiful design space has brought truly relaxing moments for book lovers.  Here, book lovers are immersed in the paradise of books and comics. All are systematically arranged so that it is not only a convenient shopping stop, but also a beautiful and friendly space to celebrate books.

Here, we can easily see images of teenagers and children sitting for hours reading books. Along with the idea of designing a reading space "Bookstore becomes Library", Fabico Bookstore of Binh Duong Culture and Trade Joint Stock Company (Thu Dau Mot City) attracts a large number of readers. Besides "young" readers and students, parents are also passionate about reading and buying books according to their interests. Le Thanh Binh, who lives in Chanh My ward, Thu Dau Mot city, said that many times when he took his children to buy books and school supplies here, he gradually formed the habit of visiting the shelves to find books and read. Reading books in a quiet space, welcoming staff, he feels very comfortable, no pressure when he wants to read books without having to spend money to buy them.

In book cafes on 30-4 street, Tran Van On street (Phu Hoa ward, Thu Dau Mot city), we also saw many young people as customers. Young people come here mainly to study due to the quiet space and the availability of a wide variety of books; others are fascinated by comic books, milk tea, and the cool space.

To inspire students to read, Phu Hoa 3 High School (Thu Dau Mot City) has designed a green space in a small cool garden located on its campus. The surrounding walls are decorated by teachers and students with paintings on book topics. The space inside is colorful flower beds and lovely mini grass. Above are baskets of fresh, tender, and timid flowers of green leafy vines. Located on the grass are reading space that are gentle, interesting, close to nature.

Reading room of Provincial Library on a hot afternoon had many young people, middle-aged people reading books. The innermost corner is a group of students doing group exercises; Another group is middle-aged people who are busy with history books, and children brought here by their parents to revel in fairy tales. There are also people who come here alone to forget their busy day, brood over their favorite book… Each person has their own look but exudes a love for books.

Open the mind, nourish the soul

Books are the treasure of human knowledge, the universal key to open the mind and nourish the soul. I still remember in the years 1990-2000, the transition period between two centuries, my family was very poor and had many siblings. My house was near a small bookstore, we often, without my parents’ knowledge, went to the bookstore but just stand and admire without touching any books. There were days when my brothers and sisters secretly "steal" a book to read on the porch, then discovered by the owner of the bookstore, thus punished by my mother. At that time, children's books were very few, a book cost only a few thousand Dong, but our mother had to ponder, think carefully as buying one as a birthday gift for her child.

Today, the book market is rich and diverse. Along with traditional printed books, there are also e-books. However, according to statistics, the number of Vietnamese people reading books is still very small. In order to arouse the love for books and spread the reading culture, industries, organizations, and individuals are making efforts to build bookcases and community libraries right in residential areas and neighborhood groups to get people involved.

Sharing about her love for books, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Chairwoman of the Elderly Association of Phu My Ward, Thu Dau Mot City said: “When you hold and read a book with the scent of paper and bold ink, you can mark your favorite passages and sentences to remember and refer to. This is like having the pleasure of walking through old land and recalling your own intellectual landscape. Whether the book is thick or thin, it is also a work in which the author has put both responsibility and enthusiasm for life."

Everyone's life has its own passion. But for Vo Thi Nhan, a member of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association, happiness is simply being attached to pages of an old book. Her childhood was tied to the family's bookcases and her reading habit has also grown over the years. Now she is still passionate about books and inspires her children, grandchildren and young people with reading.

Talking about books, Nguyen Hoai Anh, a senior student at Thu Dau Mot University, said: “I love wandering to new places, so I love books on thought, science, history and the lives of great people. I find myself absorbed in great ideas and strongly connected when I read about them. It was Alfred Nobel, the noble-hearted scientist who spent most of his fortune founding the prestigious Nobel Prize. As the almighty genius Leonardo Da Vinci, man is simultaneously passionate about both art and science with boundless creative energy. Or the writer Andersen with fairy tales going into the subconscious of generations of childhood.

Reported by H.Linh, M.Hieu - Translated by Ngoc Huynh