Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 Launches with Diverse Activities to Promote Reading Culture

Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 opens today

The opening ceremony of Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 and 2026 Hong Kong Reading+ at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin was held today (April 18), lifting the curtain on the diverse reading activities of the Hong Kong Reading Week (HKRW) to be held from April 20 to 26. The event was jointly organised by the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Hong Kong Publishing Federation (HKPF).

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, addressed the opening ceremony in a video message. Reading is an important pathway to acquire knowledge, inspire wisdom and cultivate moral integrity, and the promotion of a reading culture can nurture among the public the qualities of in-depth thinking, openness and inclusiveness for developing a rich culture in society. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government has adopted a multipronged approach to promote a reading culture, while fostering regional co-operation and a reading culture spanning various places. He called upon the public to actively participate in the activities of the HKRW and the Hong Kong Reading+ to build together a book-loving atmosphere for the country and the city.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan, said that the SAR Government has designated the Hong Kong Reading for All Day on April 23 since 2024 and organised the HKRW to promote a culture of reading through an array of activities. She hoped members of the public will enjoy the leisure of reading, feel the warmth and comfort in words, and share this joy with others through the activities.

Other officiating guests at the ceremony included the President of the Legislative Council, Dr Starry Lee; Legislative Council Member, Mr Kenneth Fok; Legislative Council Member and President of the HKPF, Dr Elvin Lee; the Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC, Mr Su Rongcai; and the Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, Miss Drew Lai.

Under the theme "Delight/LIBRARY", the HKRW offers about 470 activities to foster a reading habit among the public, encouraging participants to savour the flavour of living and the beauty of life through reading. To tie in with the HKRW, the HKPF is holding the 2026 Hong Kong Reading+ at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin from April 18 to 26, with activities including author sharing sessions, an exhibition and workshops. The HKPL will also introduce its electronic resources to the public and hold parent-child reading activities and handicraft workshops at the venue.

In addition, the HKRW will hold an array of activities suitable for people of all ages from April 20 to 26, including "Read Together for Half an Hour" activities at various locations and the "Joyful Family Reading Carnival" at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre on the Hong Kong Reading for All Day on April 23; the Pop-up Library@Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 at Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong, on April 25; as well as fun-filled activities at the Hong Kong Central Library and selected public libraries across Hong Kong on April 25 and 26.

The HKPL, in collaboration with Radio Television Hong Kong Radio 5, has invited celebrities from various sectors, including illustration artist Pen So, athlete Cheung Man-yee, director Benny Lau, photographer Lam Hiu-man and pop singer Ramon Lo, to share their reading experiences in short videos and audio clips.

All activities of the HKRW are free of charge, while seat reservations are required for some events. For details, please visit the website: www.hkpl.gov.hk/hkrw.

The 2026 Hong Kong Reading+ is one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2026. With "Beyond Fantasy" as this year's theme, the LCSD presents the fourth Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival. For more information, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk/en.

Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 opens today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 opens today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 opens today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Man convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes using cross-boundary private car

A 52-year-old man was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (April 18) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes using a cross-boundary private car, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Hong Kong Customs intercepted an inbound private car at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point yesterday (April 17). Upon inspection, Customs officers seized a total of 8 520 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes inside the front bumper of the private car. The 52-year-oldmale driver was subsequently arrested. The estimated market value of the cigarettes seized in the case was about $42,000, and the duty potential was about $28,000.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Man convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes using cross-boundary private car Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Man convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes using cross-boundary private car Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases