The Beijing International Book Fair is held at the China International Exhibition Center. The event runs over five days, the first three are professional days when the fair is open only to industry professionals and the last two are public days when the general public can attend. The exhibitor area is divided into several zones, such as International Publishers, Publishers from Taiwan & Hong Kong, Chinese Publishers, Country of Honor, Children and Education, Beijing International Book Festival, Cultural Creative Hall, Reading to Living, and Library Distribution.
The Beijing Book Fair features about 2,000 exhibitors from around 80 countries each year. The exhibitors offer an impressive selection of fiction and non-fiction books, periodicals, audio and video products, and more. Along with the expo, the program of the fair includes a plethora of cultural events, such as presentations, meetings with authors, book signings, lectures, workshops, seminars, and more.
Since 2005, each edition of the Beijing International Book Fair has featured a guest country, also referred to as the country of honor. The fair puts a special focus on the culture and publishing industry of the guest country and invites authors, publishers and other industry guests from the said country. Past countries of honor have included France, Russia, Germany, Greece, India, the Netherlands, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and more.
Sometimes the fair focuses on a whole region. For example, the 2016 Beijing Book Fair was held under the motto “A Kaleidoscope of Diverse Culture” and showcased the culture of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Montenegro, Macedonia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
The BIBF is the most important event of the year in China’s publishing industry. It is a major business platform for signing publishing constructs, selling and buying publishing and translation rights, and making other kinds of deals. For international publishers, participation in the Beijing International Book Fair is a great chance to enter the Chinese book market.
In 2021, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Tony
