Readable cities are more attractive and bookish. Shanghai's new atmosphere ④ | At the Shanghai Book Fair, Citywalk writers | Lorenzo Silva | Shanghai's new atmosphere ④ | At the Shanghai Book Fair
Spanish writer Lorenzo Silva was inspired by "The Art of War" and wrote a detective novel called "The Way of Water". So, what kind of inspiration will Shanghai's water bring to this foreign writer? On the evening of August 17th, Lorenzo Silva and two Austrian and Argentine colleagues came to the newly opened Duoyun Academy · Dishui Lake store, together with two Chinese writers and critics, to "open the world of books in the world of books.". The Shanghai International Literature Week, which landed in the new Lingang area for the first time, extended the tentacles of the Shanghai Book Fair to the easternmost corner of the city.
Why did you plan this event? Wang Ruoxu, a member of the Literature Week team and a professional writer from the Shanghai Writers Association, said that he hopes to allow Shanghai readers to read the world while allowing international writers to see the most distinctive and charming Shanghai.
German philosopher Hegel once said, "Music is a flowing building, and architecture is a solidified music." Shanghai, a socialist international cultural metropolis, has rich and excellent architectural resources, dazzling new urban construction landscapes, and perhaps the most beautiful is still the city's people and life. Currently, measuring the city's Citywalk with one's footsteps is a popular way for young people to deeply experience the city. Shanghai is the city with the highest popularity of Citywalk routes on social media.
Buildings can be read, streets can be strolled, and the city has warmth. This year, all 16 districts in Shanghai have their own unique book exhibition venues, expanding their reading areas from bookstores and libraries to more urban cultural and tourism spaces such as gardens and homestays. During the book fair, a group of new books that focused on exploring urban connotations met with readers, becoming guides for people to understand the "big book" of Shanghai. The fragrance of books fills the city, making a "readable city" more attractive.
Looking for spiritual "pearls" in the "clam shell" on the road
"After the event, take a walk nearby and don't 'let go' of this place." On the morning of the 17th, at the end of the new book sharing session on "Clam Shells and Pearls: Oral Tales of Shanghai Wukang Building Residents," Professor Yu Hai from the Department of Sociology at Fudan University suggested to readers. The place he mentioned is the "Sinan Literature House" where the event was held. "There is Liu Haisu's old residence nearby, and there is the Lu Ban Apartment where Smedley lived in Shanghai, now called Chongqing Apartment..."
"Clam Shell and Pearl: Oral Tales of Shanghai Wukang Building Residents" is co authored by writer Chen Danyan and media person Chen Baoping. It is presented to readers at the "Sinan Literature House", where Chen Danyan said, "It's like a bird returning to its nest.". The normalized reading space extended by the Shanghai Book Fair has nurtured the Sinan Reading Club brand, attracting 1500 writers, scholars, and over 70000 readers, including multiple Nobel laureates. This year, the "Sinan Literature House" has opened the "Reading Light" space for the first time at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The arch with the architectural characteristics of the Sinan Mansion echoes the book exhibition sub venue outside the venue - there are not only historical buildings with stories mentioned by Yu Hai, but also the sustained effects of the Shanghai Book Fair, Shanghai International Literature Week, and Sinan Reading Club, forming a sample exploration for contemporary "reading" of historical buildings. A group of high-quality activities, characteristic bookstores, and spaces form the "cultural Sinan" in the hearts of citizens.
In January 2022, the Sinan Gongguan block was selected as one of the first "National Tourism and Leisure Blocks" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Another "National Tourism and Leisure Block" in Shanghai is the Wukang Road Anfu Road block where the Wukang Building is located. If you want to arrange a Citywalk route in Shanghai, passing through Wukang Building is a popular choice for many people. At the new book sharing meeting, some readers were curious about why the popularity of "internet celebrities" in Wukang Building has been increasing in recent years. Chen Danyan consulted architect Tong Ming on this question. "The Wukang Building at the intersection of five roads looks very much like a monument located on a European city square. If this' monument 'is good enough, it is easy to gather crowds. Looking down from the air at the entire Hengfu style area, the Wukang Building is also like a monument, recording Shanghai's urban development and the protection, renewal, and utilization of historical buildings."
If urban architecture is a "shell", the urban life and spirit within it are the "pearls" to be discovered. In a new book at the Shanghai Book Fair, understanding the city shines like pearls. The "Urban Landscape · Hiking in Shanghai" series of books, created by professional architects, takes urban hiking routes as clues and restores historical buildings hidden in the daily complex scenery from the perspective of architects. This year's book fair will release the fourth volume, focusing on the Bund. Shanghai City Chronicle takes Yuyuan Road as the starting point, and scholar Xu Jinjiang, who focuses on the study of Shanghai roads, summarizes the "five step method" of reading "One Road". Some readers feel that the development path of "One Road" radiates the memory of a city.
This year's Shanghai Book Fair, the immersive broadcasting physical space "Yuyuan Road Radio" on Yuyuan Road and several publishing houses planned to launch the "Tonight, We Read Good Books" dialogue series with famous artists. For seven consecutive nights, there were different views of reading on the streets of Shanghai.
From the "home market" to the "city wide readability"
"Classic Tang poetry always gives people aesthetic inspiration and wisdom. The various flavors of life depicted in ancient poetry are a part of life, no matter how times change, they always resonate with people. On the evening of August 17th, the Minhang District Library and the Mintu Library in the city were brightly lit. During the" One Book, One World "Shanghai Book Exhibition · Minhang Night Reading Week" How Far Tang Poetry is from Us "reading sharing session, Professor Cha Qinghua from the School of Humanities of Shanghai Normal University inspired on-site readers to not only understand the meaning behind words, but also appreciate the poet's emotions and life wisdom. Tang poetry can add spirit to our life journey." Power. "
During the Minhang Night Reading Week, there will be a list of Chinese classical literature book exhibitions and wax paper making skills exhibitions, as well as night reading sessions, night reasoning societies, and "Little Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors" handicraft experiences, all of which will be held in the library lobby, scattered golden sentence cards, and classical picture scrolls, making readers linger.
Even if you haven't walked into the main venue of the Shanghai Book Fair, you can still experience the joy of the book fair. At the East Hall, Xujiahui Academy, Niaoya Bookstore, Duoyun Academy, 1927 Lu Xun and Neishan Memorial Bookstore and other new cultural landmarks and emerging "most beautiful" reading spaces in Shanghai, while encountering book exhibitions and reading activities, one can appreciate the urban scenery. The feeling of "reading is really good, the city is truly beautiful" always arises naturally.
In the courtyard of Xujiahui Academy, a "paper dragon" made of a whole book flutters on a "sea desk" over 20 meters long, with a body full of green and beautiful dragon scales. Zhang Xiaodong, a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor and binding artist, created contemporary book installation art works such as "Thousand Li Jiang Shan Tu" and "Second Tour Grand View Garden" using the ancient Chinese book art binding techniques of "Dragon Scale Binding" and "Sutra Folding Binding" passed down during the Tang and Song dynasties, combined with paper carving art, which amazed readers. During the book fair, various forms of reading activities were held here, including the world literary classic "The Little Prince" antique book exhibition, detective novel treasure exhibition, Chinese character modern - text design exhibition, summer night garden party, and reading market.
The Jiading District Book Exhibition Sub venue will launch multiple cross-border reading and cultural experience activities, including ancient book exhibitions, tea art shows, and immersive performances, at the 500 year old classical garden Guyi Garden. The "Reading Walking Guyi Garden" check-in map and the "Walking Jiangnan" reading city brand will be released, and the small and flexible "My Jiayue Space" will also enter Guyi Garden to provide long-term services for citizens and tourists.
The Chongming branch venue "Bookish Yingzhou" has launched the "Famous Homestay Tour" for the first time this year. On August 17th, the essay creation sharing event was held at the "Picking Flowers Homestay" in Xinhe Town. Yang Xiuli, Deputy Director of the Creative Association of the Shanghai Writers Association, born on Chongming Island, smiled and said, "This is the first book exhibition event held in my village. The four writers who participated in the event all came out of this town and exchanged ideas with the villagers, which was particularly friendly."
"The Shanghai Book Fair is shifting from the 'rush to market' mode of checking in at the main venue to an immersive mode that is readable, tourable, and available for purchase throughout the city." Xu Jiahui Academy's head, Fang Yunfang, observed the new atmosphere of this year's book fair.
On the evening of the 17th, after the rain, a beautiful rainbow brushed across the social media of Shanghai citizens. At the fountain plaza of the Shanghai Exhibition Center, many readers who finished their daytime viewing raised their phones. The rainbow, shared in every corner of the city, is like the fragrance of books all over the city, leaving behind the unique scenery and memory of this summer's "Bookish Shanghai".
