Child-friendly reading area opened at shopping mall

Posted by Admin July 4, 2024 Shopping

Ti Gong

Children attend a reading event at the Vanke Mall in Xuhui District on Thursday.

Ti Gong

The reading space for children in the mall.

A new reading space was launched at a shopping mall in Xuhui District on Thursday as part of the district’s V+Lighthouse program and the latest efforts towards a children-friendly city.

V+Lighthouse at the newly opened Vanke Mall in Xuhui is the first of its kind that blends the new-type of Xuhui’s reading space with shopping malls.

As Shanghai is building itself into a more child-friendly city, the project has been developed by the Zikawei Library to create a favorable reading environment for children, according to the Xuhui District Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

With its design drawing inspiration from the ocean, the reading room, covering 137 square meters, features white bookshelves and blue seats, simulating the coastline and an island environment.

It uses eco-friendly materials and has a collection of around 2,000 children’s books in both Chinese and English.

Ti Gong

The reading space at the Vanke Mall.

Ti Gong

The reading space has a collection of around 2,000 children’s books in both Chinese and English.

“It enables parents to shop freely as their children can read here and it helps trigger children’s reading interest,” said designer Yu Ting.

A variety of reading promotion activities including reading sharing and science popularization events will be held every week.

Away from the usual shopping mall bustle, the reading space creates a tranquil reading environment.

“The place is very cozy with a warm design, and we can stay here all day long,” said a mother surnamed Xu. “My son can also read here alone and go back at night himself. It relieves parents to some extent.”

The child-friendly reading area is expected to be extended to lawns outside the mall in future.