This heartwarming relay "touches the backlight", in Shanghai, ride first and then walk at Xinhua Bookstore | Series | heartwarming
Touching the backlight, even an imperfect life can be illuminated; Reading and walking, everyone can experience the warmth of this city. On June 29th, the 2023 Shanghai Disabled Persons Reading Series Event "Touching Backlight, Lighting up Life" was held by the Shanghai Disabled Persons Reading Guidance Committee, organized by the Shanghai Disabled Persons Culture and Sports Promotion Center, and provided full operational support by Xinhua Bookstore · Backlight 226. Xinhua Bookstore Cycling · Urban Walking Reading Relay was held. The event serves special groups such as hearing-impaired, visually impaired, physically disabled, and intellectually disabled, integrating reading and communication, cultural public welfare, and urban tourism. Through the "integration of disabled and healthy" collaboration, the designated tasks are completed, promoting more disabled groups to go out of their homes, enter bookstores, participate in cultural reading activities, and better integrate into social activities.
At 2 pm, a small lamp lit up at the 1927 Lu Xun and Neishan Memorial Bookstore at 2056 Sichuan North Road, symbolizing the launch of this heartwarming event. The first light to light up the event was Wang Yanzhang, the champion of the men's discus event at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. As a member of the disabled, his life experience injects strength into the disabled and healthy volunteers who participate in activities on site.
At the first stop of the 1927 Lu Xun and Neishan Memorial Bookstore, 10 hearing-impaired individuals strolled through the sea of books with the help of sign language teachers and found 10 designated books hidden in the bookstore. After finding the book, 10 participants formed a special cycling team, escorted by 4 volunteers, and headed towards the second stop of the activity -1925 Bookstore located at 856 Sichuan North Road.
After 15 minutes of cycling, the participants arrived at the 1925 Bookstore. Here, a visually impaired participant assisted by a guide dog waits to meet them. With the addition of new members, the cycling team has formed a brand new walking team, embarking on a "Hongkou North Bund Historical and Cultural Journey". The team starts from the 1925 Bookstore where Comrade Chen Yun worked, passes by Kunshan Garden Road where writer Ding Ling once lived, and visits Kunshan Park, which was built in 1895. They enter the filming location of the movie "Auntie's Postmodern Life", experience the golden roof of Jinglin Lu and the current appearance of Song Yaoru's old residence, and pursue the red cultural footprints left by cultural celebrities such as Lu Xun on Zhapu Road. Hearing impaired participants also use sign language to explain and listen without barriers, experiencing the profound cultural heritage hidden in this city.
While walking in the queue to "read" urban architecture and understand urban culture, several special children and volunteers stayed at the 1925 Bookstore to experience handmade papermaking and feel the warmth of books from a novel perspective. In the end, all participants returned to the 1925 Bookstore and concluded the activity with the sign language of "lighting up life".
"Touching Backlight to Light up Life" is one of the key activities of the "Touching Backlight to Let the World Read China - Barrier Free International Cultural Exchange Year" series, which was officially launched on this year's World Book Day. At the end of last year, Xinhua Media, in collaboration with Ruijin Second Road Street and the Shanghai Disabled Persons Federation, opened the first disabled friendly bookstore in Shanghai, "Backlight 226 Store", at 226 Nanchang Road, Huangpu District. With the core concept of "non visual culture", it provides braille books, touchable books, and electronic reading aids to disabled people, allowing more people to have the opportunity to communicate with them up close and feel their self-improvement quality.
