Hangzhou holds a series of celebrations to mark the 28th World Book and Copyright Day on April 23. [Photo/hangzhou2022.cn]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, held a series of celebrations to mark the 28th World Book and Copyright Day, which falls on April 23 this year, local media outlets reported.

The celebrations included some 20 activities, including a book donation ceremony, quiz competition on the upcoming Asian Games, selection of touching stories from readers, and an audition for teenage anchors.

In recent years Hangzhou has been beefing up efforts to shape itself in a city of avid readers. For example, the one city-level and 12 county-level libraries in Hangzhou have all gained national first-class recognition. The city is also home to 115 "Hangzhou Studies", 217 City Studies, and 10 book circulation centers at subway stations.

The city has also been promoting a digital library project, which has put information related to numerous books online and connected it with the National Digital Library.

Hangzhou residents buy books at a stall. [Photo/hangzhou2022.cn]