Movies, books & drama: Xuhui stages weeklong reading carnival

Thanks to the Shanghai Book Fair, Xuhui District is staging a weeklong reading carnival with diversified activities for avid readers.

Among them, Zikawei Library, a new cultural landmark, will host a reading event on the night of August 18.

Coinciding with the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, Xuhui, as one of the birthplaces of Chines movie, has witnessed the rise and fall of the film industry. Therefore, this year's "Night of Light" carnival will integrate film culture and reading, taking reading enthusiasts to review the history of Chinese films.

Visitors will receive an event map and a customized movie ticket stub and get immersed in a "world of light and shadow" where an exhibition commemorates the 120th anniversary is ongoing.

Cartoonist Zhang Leping's son will share the story behind the comic creation of Sanmao on site. Sanmao is a beloved character who is an orphan known for his three strands of hair.

Between the floors of the academy, four films with Xuhui elements, such as "Havoc in Heaven" and "HerStory" will be featured, with check-in, film block map and film non-player character activities arranged.

Between August 15 and 19, a lifestyle bazaar will be held on the library square, gathering cultural and creative products brought by sustainable lifestyle brands, environmentalist artists and craftsmen.

At West Bund Theater, Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan's acclaimed dance drama "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature) will be staged from August 15 to 17.

Since its premiere last year, the production has toured 11 cities with 25 performances and an overall attendance of more than 90 percent.

Lu's crossover effort depicts the life of ancient Chinese scientist Song Yingxing and the various agricultural and handicraft skills he summed up in the famous 17th-century Chinese encyclopedia "Tiangong Kaiwu."

Launched on August 12, a six-day market carnival, being held under the collaboration of the library and the theater, is another highlight.

"Tiangong Kaiwu" is known as "China's 17th-century encyclopedia of crafts." Coincidentally, Tou-Se-We Museum in Xuhui is the cradle of Shanghai craftsmanship. A number of renowned arts and crafts such as Shanghai-style boxwood carving and woolen embroidery originated here, which gives this market carnival a special significance.

It will gather books, intangible cultural heritage items, traditional crafts and cultural and creative products, and pop-up performances, presenting a Ming-style life aesthetics market.

During this year's Shanghai Book Fair from August 13 to 19, 13 libraries, 29 Lighthouse Studies, and dozens of other venues across the district are organizing 100 reading activities.

If you go:

Venue: Zikawei Library 徐家汇书院

Address: 158 Caoxi Rd N., Xuhui District 徐汇区漕溪北路158号

Opening hours: 9am-9pm (closed on Mondays)

Venue: West Bund Theater 西岸大剧院

Address: 2290 Longteng Avenue 龙腾大道2290号