After being postponed twice, the annual abC Art Book Fair opened to visitors this weekend. Sparkles are not what you'd expect at a book fair but at the abC Art Book Fair of China, this is part of the attraction. 

The fair has been running for five years now. And after several delays due to the pandemic, organizers held the event this weekend, as restrictions were relaxed in Beijing. Despite a 40 percent reduction in stallholders, the city's art lovers came flocking.

Most of the items on display here are not mass-produced or published. Many exhibitors are just art lovers who channel their inspiration and experiences into handmade books. So this book fair might not have as many visitors as traditional ones, but it has a solid fan base.

Birdie Liu is one of the exhibitors. Her childhood memory of the book "Where's Wally" has motivated her series -"Find me."

"I've been working on art books for six or seven years - ever since college graduation. People like me can't count on it to make a living, but it's still satisfying work, especially when you meet someone who really likes your creation.”

While some are looking for customers, others have joined the fair to be part of the latest trends. Cong Xue works in the field of kids' art education. Every year, her institution makes a calendar drawn by young students. She says she likes to get parents involved. "We come here to communicate with young parents, especially those who are crazy about art, to see whether they have fresh ideas or demands in their kids’ education."

It's a tradition of the abC art book fair to have an individual section for foreign publishers. This year, over 300 publications from the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany are participating. "We want them to see the high level and sophistication of our book design, which sometimes is quite simple. But sometimes simplicity is quite hard to reach," said Dr. Bart Hofstede, Counsellor and Head of Department of Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Despite visitor numbers being capped, the three day fair drew in art lovers from across Beijing, with nearly 8,000 enthusiasts making their way to the event. 

(Cover: 2020 abC Art Book Fair /CGTN)