Beijing International Book Fair 2018: BIBF goes digital and highlights children's publications

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03:32

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

Physical books? They won't be the only books you can find at this year's Beijing International Book Fair, as new technology has given a twist to the fair.

A new Digital Zone has been set up, combining the internet and emerging digital technology 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.

QI MENGYING PRODUCT MANAGER, KADA STORY "Now we are living in a digital world. We have many electronic devices entering in our lives. I think we should take advantage of new technology, to enjoy reading anytime and anywhere. And this is what our publishers are doing, to combine new technology with traditional publishing."

A dedicated Children's Book Fair runs concurrently with the Beijing International Book Fair with a new type of cross-media professional exhibition at the Children's Publishing Zone.

All of the major children's publishers from both China and abroad are showcasing their latest products from animation, comics, education books to digital publications.

Meanwhile, some underprivileged children from southern China's Fujian Province's Chuxi village have something to look forward to at the fair. They were invited by Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun, the "reading ambassador" of the Beijing International Book Fair.

LIU ZHENYUN WRITER "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 says by bringing them to the Beijing International Book Fair, he hopes the children can get a new view on people's lives around the world.

LIU ZHENYUN WRITER "The relationship between life and language is not just connected by 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."

Over the past twenty years, the Beijing International Book Fair has been an event of the utmost importance to publishers.

This year, the Beijing fair--the world's second-largest such event after the Frankfurt one--has an exhibition area of 97-thousand 7-hundred square meters, the largest in its history. And the fair's eight exhibition halls will host a total of 2-thousand 5-hundred publishing organizations from 93 countries and regions. CGTN.