In a bold comeback that lit up cultural calendars across the Chinese mainland, the 2025 Shanghai Book Fair sparked a reading frenzy in Shanghai and beyond 📚✨ From August 13 to 19, the dual venues—Shanghai Exhibition Center and Shanghai Book City—joined forces with 16 district sub-venues and 100 local bookstores for a page-turning extravaganza.
The fair welcomed over 382,000 visitors, a 28.4% year-on-year jump, and saw book sales hit 64.73 million yuan (about $8.9M). Cultural and creative goodies weren't left behind either, as their sales doubled to 10.17 million yuan (around $1.4M) 🚀.
For the first time, the ancient water town Wuzhen in Zhejiang co-hosted the event. With more than 70 reading nooks—from teahouses and bars to hotel lobbies—Wuzhen transformed into "one big flowing library," as Darina Gallagher, director of the James Joyce Centre in Dublin, perfectly put it.
Gallagher brought the international flair, leading literary lectures and panel chats with local readers. "I especially love the focus on readers," she said. "I can't wait to share this energy with festivals back in Ireland. Cultural exchanges like this are so inspiring!" 🌟
Centered in Shanghai but pulsing across the Yangtze River Delta, the fair united over 30 bookstores and dealers from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, offering tens of thousands of books and cultural treasures. Whether you're a bookworm, a culture scout, or a curious traveler, the 2025 Shanghai Book Fair is proof that reading is more alive than ever!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
