What are the new characteristics of "reading" in current reading? Whispering in the ear, immersive interaction on the screen, and exhilarating exploration on the cloud. On the occasion of the 15th China International Digital Publishing Expo, the "2024-2025 Annual Report on China's Digital Publishing Industry" was released in Zhengzhou, Henan on August 27th. The report shows that in 2024, the revenue of China's digital publishing industry will continue to grow, with an overall revenue scale exceeding 1.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.07% over the previous year. The consecutive years of income growth have outlined a blueprint for a thriving digital publishing industry. Born from the fusion of "inside" - Scan the QR code in the book, and static cultural relics can "leap" out of the paper, presenting high-definition details in front of you; Thick historical classics, accompanied by audio and video interpretations by renowned teachers, instantly become vivid and approachable. Now, if I can't find the QR code on a book, I always feel like something is missing. ”Some netizens humorously said. More and more readers are paying for this immersive reading experience. The Expo also released the "Report on the Development of Publishing Integration (2025)". The report is based on data from 557 publishing units nationwide, and the total revenue from integrated publishing development in 2024 is 9.724 billion yuan, an increase of 19.1% compared to 2021, showing a rapid development trend. 'Integration' is not simply about 'moving' paper content online, but rather a process of ecological reconstruction from the inside out. In the past year, AI models such as the "Starry Sky Model", the ancient book sorting model "Xunzi", and the intelligent knowledge proofreading system "Ci Wen" have emerged like mushrooms after rain to help publishing units improve work efficiency and publishing quality. The application of artificial intelligence in the publishing industry will enter an acceleration period. ”Wang Biao, Director of the Digital Publishing Institute of the China Academy of Press and Publication, pointed out that the development of AI models in the vertical publishing field and intelligent agents serving different publishing scenarios will become the focus of infrastructure construction, redefining the entire publishing industry chain and promoting the reconstruction of publishing business models. The report shows that by 2024, the revenue scale of online literature will reach 49.55 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.37%; The cumulative user base has reached 638 million, a year-on-year increase of 16%. At the same time, online literature and art have been included for the first time in the national recognition system for spiritual civilization construction. In the 17th "Five One Project" award for spiritual civilization construction, three online literature works were selected. More and more emerging forms of online literature, games, anime, and other forms of publishing are playing an increasingly important role in promoting socialist core values and promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture. ”Wang Biao said. On the basis of thematic book resources, some publishing units invest technology and funds to transform thematic publications into new forms such as databases and VR products. Jiangsu People's Publishing House has successively developed albums such as "Understanding China - Overseas Chinese Studies Audio Course" and "Learning the Theme Audio Books of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China", with a total playback volume of over 80 million times on platforms such as Himalaya. Breaking through the barriers to the outside world - In the report released this time, a set of data for 2024 is particularly impressive: online literature has added 30 million registered users overseas and about 200 million active users; Chinese gaming companies have conducted in-depth research on overseas markets, achieving a 13.39% revenue growth and actual sales revenue exceeding 18.5 billion US dollars; Nine excellent works, represented by "Douluo Continent" and "Tian Dao Library", have been collected by cultural institutions in various parts of Europe such as Italy and the United Kingdom, and another ten works have been collected again by the British Library... High quality content is not only growing "upward", but also expanding "outward". Digital publishing is becoming a light boat for Chinese culture to break through barriers and go global. Last year, the popular domestic 3A game "Black Myth: Wukong" not only "touched" the "DNA" of domestic players, but also ignited the enthusiasm of players around the world to explore Chinese culture. Games are no longer just entertainment as people understand them, but also a way for Chinese culture to go global and a component of the development of the digital economy. ”Ao Ran, Executive Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China Audio Video and Digital Publishing Association, believes that the Chinese gaming industry, with its profound cultural heritage and continuous technological innovation, is gaining recognition on the world stage. The wave of technology is surging forward, and cultural innovation is thriving. With integration as the rudder, quality as the sail, and going out to sea as the oar, China's digital publishing ships are loaded with Chinese cultural treasures and innovative vitality of the times, heading towards a broader digital ocean. (New Society)