Opening of the Hong Kong Book Fair attracts hundreds of eager readers looking for new releases and deals

Some bookworms arrived in front of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre early on Wednesday and waited for the doors to open at 10 a.m.

Vic Mak, a logistics service provider in his 30s, was one of the early risers and arrived about an hour early with a shopping cart.

“I wanted to come early because there are actually fewer people there in the first few hours and I wanted to walk around without being crammed in like a sardine,” he said.

Mak said he was looking for travel books, novels and some children’s books for his son.

“Usually the dealers offer some kind of discount, but the main point is that I can get everything at once in one place,” he added.

Other guests praised the size and atmosphere of this year’s event.

“I find the guests they invited (to the seminars) this year quite impressive,” said retiree May Kwok, who is in her 60s.

She said Jin Yucheng, an author best known for his award-winning Chinese novel blossomswas also invited to the event.

The story recently gained new fame after renowned director Wong Kar-wai adapted the book into a television series, the first episode of which aired in mainland China last December.

This year, the book fair will take place parallel to the Sports and Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks event, bringing together 760 exhibitors.

The book fair will also feature numerous renowned writers, academics and celebrities, including the Chinese writer Su Tong, who is best known for works such as Let the Red Lantern Rise And Petulia’s Rouge Tin.

At the opening ceremony of the event, Raistlin Lau-chun, Undersecretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “The publishing and printing industry is one of the most important creative industries in Hong Kong.

“The book fair is an important building block for promoting the development of the industry.”

Sophia Chong Suk-fan, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which organised the event, said she was confident that this year’s fair would see good participation, mainly driven by visitors from the mainland and promotional activities across the border.