The 2025 Reading Lishui, City of Books launch ceremony is held in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The Madrid branch of Qingtian Book Cafe was recently inaugurated, marking a significant step in the overseas expansion of the Reading Lishui, City of Books initiative, while strengthening cultural exchanges between China and Spain.

As a key part of the cultural campaign, Qingtian Book Cafe has been establishing reading spaces both domestically and internationally. The Madrid branch represents an important extension of this network in Europe, with future plans to expand to Italy, France, Portugal, and other countries.

About 381,000 overseas Chinese from Qingtian are spread across 146 countries and regions. They have consistently leveraged their unique advantage of bridging Chinese and foreign cultures, promoting cultural and economic exchanges between China and the world.

During the 2025 Reading Lishui, City of Books launch ceremony, an official accreditation was presented to the overseas Qingtian Book Cafe branches.

Through partnerships with six overseas branches across Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal, the project aims to bolster the global reading network and to strengthen Qingtian's role as an international cultural hub.

The Madrid branch will offer authentic Chinese books covering history, literature, and art, and will regularly host reading sessions, cultural lectures, and bilingual activities for young readers. It will serve as a platform for overseas Chinese, local students, and Spanish readers interested in Chinese culture.