A celebratory convention for the 80th anniversary of Xinhua Bookstore took place in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, on April 21.

Phoenix Media holds a celebratory convention for the 80th anniversary of Xinhua Bookstore in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, on April 21.

Xinhua Bookstore was first set up in Shaanxi province's Yan'an on April 24, 1937, and has since become one of China's best known bookstores.

The bookstores in Jiangsu are owned and operated by Jiangsu Xinhua Distribution Group, a Jiangsu and Hainan-based cultural company belonging to the Phoenix Publishing and Media Group (PPMG). The Xinhua distribution group is engaged in the business of books, periodicals, audiovisual and digital products, as well as storage and logistics, and import and export trade.

A number of prominent individuals were in attendance including Wang Yanwen, head of the publicity department of the Jiangsu provincial Party committee, Zhang Jiankang, chairman at PPMG, various senior managers at the group and distribution company, as well as a number of worker representatives.

Zhang Jiankang gave a speech at the convention in which he noted the distribution company as a key subsidiary of PPMG, one which shoulders great responsibility for the group's development. He urged the company to continue taking on its social responsibility in promoting reading among the general public, to create a better network for cultural engagement, and to cultivate a group of talented workers for the cultural industry.

Jin Guohua, general manager at the distribution company, briefed the audience about the development achievements of the Xinhua Bookstores in Jiangsu province. The convention also took time to present a newly released volume of books detailing the development of Xinhua Bookstore in China and held ceremonies for both PPMG-funded children's libraries and a data application center that will be used by the publishing and distribution industries.