BIBF goes digital and highlights children's books

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02:58

Book lovers in Beijing are in for a treat once again as the 25th Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) kicked off Wednesday in the Chinese capital.

This year's event focuses on the integration of technology by setting up an all-new digital zone. Meanwhile, a dedicated children's book fair is running in conjunction with the event, showcasing the latest children's publications by world publishers.

New technology helps readers get a better reading experience. /VCG photo

New technology has given a twist to the fair. A new Digital Zone has been set up, combining the Internet and emerging digital technologies with traditional publishing.

New interactive media, technical and content services, AI and Big Data systems are all on display, serving as various platforms and ways to help book lovers read digitally and to get a better reading experience.

The children's book fair has a new type of professional cross-media exhibition.

Major children's book publishers from both China and abroad are showcasing their latest products from animation, comics, education books to digital publications.

Visitors at the BIBF. /CGTN photo

Meanwhile, the book fair had some visitors from afar, children from Chuxi Village in east China's Fujian Province.

They were the guests of Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun, the book fair's "reading ambassador". "I spent five days last year in the village, teaching them writing and reading. And I'm going to keep my promise of bringing them to see Beijing and a book fair," Liu said.

By bringing the children to the fair, he hopes they can get a new view on people's lives around the world. "The relationship between life and language is not just connected by the Chinese language. The book fair displays many books in different languages reflecting people's lives and cultures around the world. To let the students see another way of life, this is the reason I brought them here."

Books on display at the BIBF. /CGTN photo

Over the past 20 years, the BIBF has been an event of the utmost importance to publishers.

This year, the world's second-largest such event, after the one in Frankfurt, Germany, has an exhibition area of 97,700 square meters, the largest of its kind in BIBF history. And the eight exhibition halls are ready to welcome a total of 2,500 publishing organizations from 93 countries and regions.