Chinese illustrator Cai Gao, winner of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award, speaks at the opening ceremony of an exhibition titled "Listening to Young Readers: Voices from Rural China" in Ottawa, Canada, Aug. 5, 2026. (Photo by Li Haitao/Xinhua)

OTTAWA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition titled "Listening to Young Readers: Voices from Rural China" opened Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, offering global attendees a vivid glimpse into the transformational impact of literature and art on young people in rural China.

Through photographs, videos and original publications including a selection of contemporary Chinese picture books, the exhibition showcased China's achievements in promoting rural reading and expanding public cultural services.

The exhibition also featured a book-drifting program that has provided books to over 80,000 Chinese rural children across 20 provinces, helping fulfill their reading wishes since its launch in April 2025. Nearly 100 handwritten wish cards from rural children were displayed at the exhibition site.

At the opening ceremony, President of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Basarat Kazim reflected on her early connection with Chinese art and the universal power of visual storytelling.

"Illustrations have a language of their own. They cross borders without a passport and speak to the heart before the mind," Kazim said. "In a world that so often speaks loudly, they remind us that the gentlest voices are sometimes the ones that stay with us the longest."

The event also highlighted the story of Chinese illustrator Cai Gao, winner of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award. Cai shared how her experience teaching in a village in central China's Hunan Province shaped her artistic vision and strengthened her lifelong commitment to children's reading.

"Art is warm and powerful only when it is deeply rooted in real life," Cai said. "Rural reading connects people with nature and childhood innocence."

Held as an official event of the 40th IBBY World Congress, the exhibition was jointly hosted by the National Press and Publication Administration of China and the Chinese Board on Books for Young People.

People visit an exhibition titled "Listening to Young Readers: Voices from Rural China" in Ottawa, Canada, Aug. 5, 2026. (Photo by Li Haitao/Xinhua)

President of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Basarat Kazim speaks at the opening ceremony of an exhibition titled "Listening to Young Readers: Voices from Rural China" in Ottawa, Canada, Aug. 5, 2026. (Photo by Li Haitao/Xinhua)