Nationwide, over 150,000 employee bookrooms have been established, serving more than 100 million workers.

On August 6, a national trade union-themed reading exchange event, hosted by the Chongqing Federation of Trade Unions, was successfully held at the Chongqing Mass Art Center. During the event, the “Yugong Hongyan · Reading for the Soul” brand was officially launched.

“We must adapt to the new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation by comprehensively improving the quality of workers.” Since the All-China Federation of Trade Unions initiated the “Workers’ Bookhouse” program in 2008, over 150,000 bookhouses have been established nationwide, serving more than 100 million workers. Among these, 15,000 are national-level model bookhouses, forming a reading service system that combines national leadership with local characteristics. Themed reading activities, such as “Reading Classics · Building a New Era” and “Model Workers and Craftsmen Book Sharing Sessions,” have been organized around major themes like the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the centenary of the Party, reaching over 20 million workers annually.

During the event, a representative from the Chongqing Federation of Trade Unions stated that the Hongyan Spirit is a vital part of the Communist Party’s legacy and a distinctive symbol of Chongqing’s revolutionary history. The federation will integrate the Hongyan Spirit with the ethos of model workers, labor, and craftsmanship to create a unique reading culture brand for workers in Chongqing. The city will regularly release recommended reading lists and share ideological stories under the “Hongyan-themed Reading” initiative. Additionally, comic adaptations and video lectures based on these stories will be produced, along with a series of educational videos. Trade unions at all levels in Chongqing will develop comprehensive service hubs with “10 core functions and 20 extended functions,” transforming physical bookhouses into “knowledge service complexes” and “mini workers’ cultural centers” that serve both employees and the broader society.

At the event, a former director of the Chongqing Hongyan Cultural Center delivered a keynote speech on inheriting the Hongyan Spirit. A national model worker shared her entrepreneurial and reading journey. Other participants, including a self-media writer, a radio drama director, and a “delivery poet,” discussed their reading experiences. The writer emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on classic literature in the era of fragmented media consumption. The poet reflected on his decades-long creative journey, saying, “Many people around me don’t understand my work, but I believe that pursuing what you love—whether reading or writing—is never exhausting.” Later, the director and the poet jointly recited the poem “Flight at Low Altitude,” which celebrates the resilience and hope of ordinary workers.

National model workers recommended their favorite books, such as “Adversity · Ambition · Success,” “The Ordinary World,” “Master Craftsmen of the Nation,” and “Eyes of Chongqing.” They collectively encouraged workers to cultivate lifelong reading habits, treat bookhouses as spiritual homes, apply knowledge to practical endeavors, and share good books with colleagues to foster a culture of learning in the workplace.

The event was attended by over 300 participants, including representatives from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Chongqing Federation of Trade Unions, model workers, frontline employees, and new employment sector workers.