A nine-day cross-strait book exhibition was launched in Macao on Saturday, displaying over 200,000 books from publishing houses from the Chinese mainland as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

The hosting Macao Publishers' Association stated in a press release that the books on show covered a vast range of content from literature, history, philosophy and art to politics, leisure, sports and religion. There is also a special section for books on the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

A dozen writers from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao signed autographs for readers at the conclusion of the opening ceremony. The book show has been an annual traditional cultural event for some 20 years.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2006)