by Huang Xitian

HONG KONG, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The 33rd Hong Kong Book Fair, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, closed on Tuesday. Nearly 1 million visitors flocked to the seven-day event, of which 10 percent were tourists. Book Fair visitors spent an average of 872 Hong Kong dollars (about 112 U.S. dollars) per person.

The annual Hong Kong Book Fair is the place to be as Hong Kong's students kick off their summer holidays, with some young readers and parents flocking to the fair to look for storybooks, textbooks and study aids.

Secondary school student Chan Ka-yan is a book fair regular. She said she was excited to attend the book fair for the fifth time and appreciated the wide variety of texts offered at this year's fair.

Her mother said she has used up the latest consumption vouchers -- the 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 256 U.S. dollars) second installment delivered on July 16 -- on books for her child and hoped these books would foster a love of reading in Chan.

Zhao Ningyi, who works in the field of education, is particularly enthusiastic about this year's fair. "It is a one-of-a-kind event that can only be experienced in this city and a distinct atmosphere of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's reading culture, " he said.

In Zhao's view, the book fair is a significant platform for the city's goal of becoming a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the world. It also allows people to indulge in the simple joy of reading.

Some mainland visitors lavishly praised the new Convention and Exhibition Center station, which directly links to the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations of the East Rail Line.

The book fair has always been a highlight of the summer for a 22-year-old attendee from Shenzhen, surnamed Tan. She braved the typhoon on the book fair's opening day, arriving in the city by railway just to attend the fair.

Tan said she crossed the border at Lo Wu precisely because the East Rail line can come directly to the Convention and Exhibition Center. The journey that used to take over an hour now only takes about 40 minutes.

This year, the fair has a strong focus on children and young adult literature, as emphasized in the theme "Reading the World: The Joy of Reading for Children and Youth."

The World of Art and Culture zone, a newly established exhibition area, echoes the year's theme, showcasing picture books and cultural exhibits from nearly 30 countries and regions.

El monstruo de colores is a children's literature presented by the Consulate General of Spain in Hong Kong. Chan Tsz Pan Billy, the managing director and school principal of Spanish World Hong Kong, said the book has been published in 40 languages, including Chinese, English, French, etc.

"As the fair is one of the city's largest and most beloved cultural events in summer, we regard it as an important platform to help readers develop a deeper understanding of Spanish culture," Chan said.

The fair also features a series of talks and lectures from some of the biggest names in literature. Sessions by popular novelists, such as Yu Hua, an acclaimed Chinese writer known for his poignant, thought-provoking novels that explore the complexities of modern China, and Ma Boyong, a novelist who won the Mao Dun Newcomer Award, were oversubscribed.

At the Storytelling by Celebrities session, Karine Yoakim Pasquier, a Swiss author, shared her writing journey with young readers.

"One year ago, I had the opportunity to go to the Hong Kong book fair as a reader, and it is a great honor to be able to come back as an author!" she said, "it's an excellent chance for me to promote my books, but also to discover the works of other authors and in particular to discover Chinese literature! "

The book fair prominently features elements from the Chinese mainland, with exhibition areas for north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which boasts a rich culture and unique scenery, and Guangdong Province, a southern economic powerhouse neighboring Hong Kong.

Looking at the Lingnan cultural exhibits in the Guangdong Pavilion, such as the lion dance and Cantonese opera costumes, a 64-year-old Hong Kong resident surnamed Zhu said she felt very cordial as she left her hometown Huizhou at a very early age, and the book fair provides a good opportunity for her to learn more about Lingnan culture. Enditem

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