The 2025 Shanghai Book Fair, held from August 13 to 19, spanned two main venues in the Chinese mainland—Shanghai Exhibition Center and Shanghai Book City—alongside 16 district sub-venues and 100 partner bookstores.
More than 382,000 visitors joined the weeklong event, marking a 28.4 percent increase year-on-year. Book sales soared to 64.73 million yuan (about $8.9 million), while cultural product sales doubled to 10.17 million yuan (about $1.4 million).
For the first time, Wuzhen in Zhejiang co-hosted the fair, blending its historic water-town charm with a vibrant theater scene and over 70 reading spaces—from teahouses and hotels to bars and dining rooms. Darina Gallagher, director of the James Joyce Centre in Dublin, likened Wuzhen to "one big flowing library."
Gallagher delivered literary lectures and joined panel discussions in both Shanghai and Wuzhen, praising the fair’s reader-focused approach. “I hope to bring these ideas back to Ireland,” she said, highlighting the power of cultural exchange.
Centered in Shanghai, the book fair also united more than 30 bookstores and dealers from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, showcasing tens of thousands of titles and cultural products. The event has cemented the Yangtze River Delta as a dynamic hub for readers and cultural enthusiasts across borders.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
