On April 23, in celebration of World Book Day, Guizhou University (GZU) held a themed reading event titled “Fragrant Pages and Classic Light at Xishan”, as part of the university’s New Era Initiative of Fostering Virtue Through Education. The event featured a joint reading of the Confucian classic The Great Learning by university representatives and partner enterprises across industries and provincial regions. Yang Wei, Secretary of the CPC GZU Committee, and Chen Yanbo, Vice President of the university, attended the event. Also present were distinguished guests, and faculty and student representatives, including international student representatives, from universities within and beyond Guizhou. The event was chaired by Professor Huang Cheng, Director of the GZU Library.

In her speech, Yang Wei emphasized that reading is not only a vital means of acquiring knowledge but also a continuous source of spiritual renewal for the Chinese nation. In recent years, GZU has actively built a comprehensive “threefold” reading ecosystem: inclusive, process-oriented, and holistic. It has established cultural spaces such as the Xishan Study and one-stop community reading rooms to guide students in reading classic texts and enhancing their humanistic literacy. The university has also implemented a dual-track talent development model supported by the School of Marxism and the Academy of Chinese Culture, introduced a general education curriculum in traditional Chinese culture, and integrated classic readings into classroom teaching. Through reading programs such as the Reading Sessions under the New Era Initiative of Fostering Virtue Through Education, and activities like recitations and book-sharing sessions, GZU aims to foster students’ lifelong reading habits and develop innovative practices for cultivating students through culture. Yang encouraged faculty and students to strengthen their spiritual foundations through reading, to practice the ideal of unity of knowledge and action, to let the wisdom of the classics nourish their hearts, to revitalize fine traditional Chinese culture in the new era, and to seek ideals in the world of books.

During the session, students—led by Dr. Liu Qingqu—read aloud the core “classic” chapter of The Great Learning in unison, followed by a sequential reading of its ten “commentary” chapters. Guan Guoxing, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Jiangsu Hongde Cultural Publishing Foundation, Associate Editor of Hongde Journal, and Vice President of the Jiangsu Zhouyi Research Association; and Hu Zhengsen, Vice Chairman of the Guizhou Federation of Industry and Commerce, Chairman of Zhongkan Group, and Vice President of the Guizhou Confucian Studies Association, shared their reflections on reading under the themes of “personal growth and cultural inheritance” and “how reading informs enterprise management and development”. In the open discussion and Q&A session, faculty and students engaged with the guest speakers on questions concerning The Great Learning, as well as the connection between reading and personal development.

This event was jointly organized by GZU’s Office of Humanities and Social Sciences, Library, College of Literature, and Academy of Chinese Culture. Co-organizers included the libraries of Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, and Guizhou Minzu University, the College of History and Ethnic Culture at GZU, and the Yangming and Guizhou Studies Institute at Guiyang University. The event was also supported by the Guizhou Confucian Studies Association, the Jiangsu Hongde Cultural Publishing Foundation, and Zhongkan Group.

Editors: Zhang Chan, Ning Yumei

Chief Editor: Li Xufeng

Senior Editor: Ding Long

Translator: Jia Haibo