How far can a book take you? At Beijing's International Bookstore, Shelly picked up One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, and quite by chance, stumbled upon the distant shores of Latin America.

The same bookstore recently hosted the Ambassadors' Reading Salon, themed "Reading Without Borders – Books Connect East and West". Diplomats from Latin American countries came together to share their reading experiences and explore the rich interplay of Chinese and Latin American cultures through the power of books. During the event, a special bilingual issue of LOOKWE, featuring the cultures and charm of Latin America, was officially launched, opening a new channel for reading-based people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Latin America.

Through One Hundred Years of Solitude and Chinese and Latin American literature, and the overlap between books and real life, reading brings people of different languages and cultures together in Beijing, creating opportunities for dialogue, exchange, and mutual understanding.