Over the past few days, Chinese bibliophiles have been swarming to their biggest shindig in the country's capital city. Since its opening last Friday at Chaoyang Park, the 2017 Beijing Book Fair has shed light on the latest reading habit and preferences in China's most vibrant cultural hub.

As with previous years, steep discounts prove a main feature of the event. Among the more than 400,000 publications from some 300 publishers and booksellers, the majority are available at 50 percent the original price. Some shop-soiled titles can be acquired for as few as three books for 10 yuan, which is less 1.5 US dollars. 

Compared with fresh releases, older volumes enjoyed more attention and demand this year. According to a dealer specializing in the trade, nearly 5,000 second-hand books, most published in the 1980s, were sold over the weekend. "Some customers favor certain authors or editions and would buy a hefty stack of books," he told the China News Service.

The fair has attracted both the old and young, but its main customer base is formed by the middle-aged and elderly. The booksellers admit that the printed pages are losing out to the smartphone as a reading medium.

Due to its older demographic, the fair is selling more classics and non-fiction titles than contemporary urban novels. Most of its top sellers come from the categories of healthy lifestyles and traditional Chinese medicine. As older people prefer to get their value for their money, sellers are having a hard time shifting those high-priced coffee-table books, such as photo albums and gift books. 

The Beijing Book Fair is set to run until April 24. Besides books, the more than 600 booths in the Chaoyang Park also offer audio-video products, electronic publications and collectibles such as postal stamps and inkwash paintings. 

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