[Photo via VCG]
The Beijing Book Fair 2023 is set to commence on April 14 at Chaoyang Park (main venue) and other venues throughout 16 districts of the capital and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. Additionally, the book fair will simultaneously be launched in four book malls such as the Beijing Book Building, and three online platforms including JD.com. The eleven-day fair will offer exciting cultural activities with the theme of encouraging everyone to read.
The main venue covers an area of 12,000 square meters, 2,000 square meters larger than the previous one. The total area of the fair (including sub-venues) will reach 100,000 square meters. More than 200 exhibitors will participate in the fair, marking a 50 percent year-on-year increase. Particularly, the number of participating brick-and-mortar bookstores doubled compared to that of last year, showcasing the development of brick-and-mortar bookstores in Beijing. The variety of exhibits hits a record high, with over 400,000 excellent publications and cultural products on display and for sale in the main venue alone.
The main venue sets up two sections for books and reading culture, as well as eight reading culture-themed areas. Specifically, the book section is comprised of a themed publishing area, a quality publishing area, a street of brick-and-mortar bookstores, an antique book area, and a discounted book area.
The quality publishing area gathers over 100 renowned publishing houses, including the China Publishing Group, SinoMaps Press, CITIC Press Group, and Beijing Publishing Group; the street of brick-and-mortar bookstores is home to famous bookstores such as the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore and Zhongshuge Bookstore, building itself into an immersive reading area featuring reading, experience, and exhibitions; and the antique book area brings the China Bookstore, kongfz.com, and other well-known cultural enterprises together, displaying and selling excellent ancient books on traditional Chinese culture and over 10,000 varieties of second-hand books published after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
At this year's book fair, a discounted book area is specially created for the first time, which consists of the classic literature zone and children's books zone, with the aim of selling classic works and children's books by famous Chinese and foreign authors to citizens with additional discounts. During the book fair, readers who purchase books worth CNY 1,000 or more in one day are eligible to get a customized book cart from the service desk by presenting their receipts. There are only 30 carts available each day. In addition, there are new activities such as stamp collection, to enhance the overall consumer experience and create a trendy consumption scenario.
In the reading activity area, citizens can participate in a range of cultural events, including book launches, book signing events, and lectures by renowned authors. The Spring Reading Camp features parent-child reading and family reading. At the Children's Reading Square, readers can flick through selected children's books and enjoy innovative educational products.
On the opening day of the book fair, the Beijing Brick-and-Mortar Bookstore Association will launch a series of selection activities themed "Most Beautiful Bookstores and Best Store Managers (Owners)". The selection aims at recommending the 20 most beautiful bookstores with outstanding service and distinctive characteristics in the city, as well as ten best store managers (owners) with outstanding performance and social recognition.
Continuing with the "1+N" model, the Beijing Book Fair 2023 will take place simultaneously at the main venue, sub-venues, and online platforms so as to enhance the brand influence of the fair, expand consumption coverage, and showcase the charm of Beijing through the interactions between the online and offline platforms.
(Source: The Beijing News)
