Pakistan News & Features Services
Now in its 20th year, the book fair remains dedicated to its mission: to introduce books from around the world to China, and to share Chinese literature with the world.
The varied collection of reading material covers an area of almost eight soccer fields. "We come here every year. Our main focus is traditional Chinese folk art, and this time we’ve brought our new collection called Beautiful China,” Wang Kaiyuan, chief editor of Hubei Fine Arts Publishing House, observed.
The 2013 Beijing International Book Fair has opened on August 28 at the China International Exhibition Centre where over 20,000 exhibitors from 76 different countries and regions have showcased their best reads.
The guest of honour this year is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and there are a number of representatives from the Middle East to show more of their cultural side.
"Saudi Arabia is not a country of oil or construction but a country that is rich in so many other things. When it comes to culture and heritages, geography photograph and arts, we have more than 700 titles, we were able to translate 53, from Arabic to Chinese. And this is considered to be the largest translation effect from Arabic to Chinese and we’re proud to do it,” Khaled Al-Anqari, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Education, stated.
Apart from offering platforms for publishers, the event is also a top destination for book lovers, many seeking more than just traditional paperbacks.
"I always buy best-sellers online and read E-books on my phone. As a mother, I also hunt books for my children. Thanks to the new technology, we have a lot more to choose from. I’m an editor, so I browse through book stores once or twice a week for books about healthy lifestyle and beauty. But I do like E-books and audio books,” he added.
From literature to cartoons to the digital zone, visitors have the rest of the week to get lost in this massive carnival for readers.
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