Beijing's International Book Fair is celebrating ten years in the book business. Businessmen and readers began flocking to the doors on Wednesday morning. Making its debut in 1986, the event is now wooing inquisitive minds and bookworms alike, at the Beijing Exhibition Center.

With stacks of new books, glossy magazines and other page-turners, the tenth International Book Fair has finally opened its doors. After a four-month delay due to SARS, enthusiastic readers in Beijing have been making a beeline to the event.

Thousands of publishing enterprises from around the world are participating in this year's book fair. Among the industry players looking for a piece of the mainland's lucrative publishing pie is the People's Publishing House. The company, owned by industry giant, China Publishing Group, is putting the spotlight on its latest and most popular books. The President of the People's Publishing House, Huang Shuyuan, says he's aiming to further promote his company.

"The Book Fair is a huge stage for China to exchange experience with the outside world. At the same time, it also gives us a good chance to show our products to the world. So we brought a lot of good books here this time, hoping to do something for the prosperous Chinese publishing industry," said Huang Shuyuan.

Attracting the latest publishing products from around the world, as well as many original and electronic books in scores of languages, the book fair means big business for many participants. The book fair has become one of the most important events in Asia, especially for businessmen looking for opportunities in the region. World famous publishing company John Wiley and Sons has been participating in the event for a decade. Manager Wendy Ding says the fair is an integral part of their book business in China.

"From the very beginning, we supported the fair. Why we take part in the fair for all these years is because we can meet a lot of friends and also business partners. Of course, the fair helps develop our business in Asia," said Mrs. Ding.

The book fair will run through September 21. So there are still four days left for book enthusiasts in the nation's capital to see the latest and brightest books in China, and around the globe.

In order to further improve the Chinese publishing industry, the Chinese government has decided that the previously biennial book fair will now be held every year. It's believed that the book fair is not only a gathering for business people, but also helps improve cultural exchange.
 
(CCTV.com September 19, 2003)