“The preparation has been basically completed,” said an organizer of the 11-day book fair, which will start on September 8. “The festival is ready to open.”

Some 150,000 varieties of books, newspapers, magazines and video-audio products will be on for sale and business representatives marketing these items are flocking into Beijing from across the country.

The main trade venue during the festival will be located at the Beijing Working People’s Palace of Culture, while smaller sales transactions will take place at about 100 bookstores in Beijing’s 18 districts and counties.

The biennial festival has been gaining more and more popularity. Over 2.33 million books worth 20 million yuan were sold at the last festival, which attracted over 50,000 visitors.

“Over 90 percent of the books were bought by individuals. That reflects that the demand for cultural products is on the rise,” some experts at the festival said.

Many new items have been added to this year’s exhibition list. While traditional book sales dominate the fair, purchases can also now be made on-line.

Meanwhile, trade on book drafts and copyrights and lectures on high technology are expected to add excitement to the festival.

(China Daily)