The renowned Ditan Book Fair reopened at Ditan Park in Beijing on September 8, after a decade-long suspension. The fair attracted around 100,000 visitors a day to search for books, collect Ditan-themed seals, and purchase literary creative products.
Visitors select titles at the book fair in Ditan Park, Beijing, September 10, 2023. /CFP
More than 200 book distributors are taking part in the 11-day fair, offering more than 400,000 titles at heavily discounted rates. "Although e-books are gaining in popularity, traditional paper books are still irreplaceable. The return of the Ditan Book Fair is a feast for book lovers," said Yue Xin, vice director of Ditan Park.
More than ten copies of Shi Tiesheng's masterpiece "The Temple of Earth and I" were a highlight of the fair. The book tells the story of the author's lonely strolls through the ancient Temple of Earth, or Ditan Park, where he learned to grasp the meaning of life and not to fear death.
Visitors select titles at the book fair in Ditan Park, Beijing, September 10, 2023. /IC
Some well-known contemporary authors, including Cao Wenxuan, Qiao Ye and Wang Zhaojian were invited to give free lectures to literature lovers at the site. Children also enjoyed their time at the fair. As well as the many children's books on sale, activities such as movable-type printing classes, painting lessons and shadow puppetry shows were staged to entertain younger visitors.
The Ditan Book Fair is attracting around 100,000 visitors a day. CFP
Ditan Park started holding book fairs in 1997 but they were suspended in 2013 over concerns regarding architecture protection and fire control. This year, the book fair reopened in a new location in a square far from any ancient buildings or trees, much to the delight of regular customers and younger visitors.