35th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair opens on 16 July

The 35th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), will be held from 16 to 22 July (Wednesday to Tuesday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

The popular annual event will run concurrently with the HKTDC Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo and the HKTDC World of Snacks, bringing together more than 770 exhibitors across the three fairs. With the theme of the year “Food Cultureï½¥Future Living”, the Book Fair will feature more than 620 cultural activities both onsite and offsite, including acclaimed writers’ seminars, book launches and multicultural activities, creating a literary feast and promoting a culture of reading.

Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The Hong Kong Book Fair Cultural Events Advisory Panel selecting ‘Food Cultureï½¥Future Living’ as the theme of the year is truly meaningful. Both food and reading serve as carriers of culture. Food literature works not only document local culinary traditions but also narrate stories through recipes, making them more intriguing. As a renowned food paradise where east meets west, Hong Kong offers a unique platform for promoting international cultural exchange through food literature. We hope the theme of the year will encourage people to explore diverse aspects of food culture through reading, savouring the cultural nuances and lifestyle attitudes behind the texts and delving into new food cultures shaped by future technologies. We invite everyone to relish the joy and flavour of reading.”

Ms Chong added that Hong Kong Book Fair, as a Hong Kong spotlight event and a feature of the Hong Kong Summer Viva in July, will present a wide array of engaging experiences for locals and tourists alike. To celebrate the 35th edition of the Book Fair, three special offers will be rolled out to allow citizens and tourists to fully immerse themselves in the three major cultural and leisure events of reading, sports and leisure, and snacks. First, visitors born in 1990, when the Book Fair was first held, can enjoy free entry by presenting valid identification. Second, a limited edition of 500 35th-edition special packages will be available, allowing five visitors to enter for the price of three tickets. Third, visitors who spend over HK$500 at the Book Fair will have the opportunity to receive a limited-edition commemorative tote bag and a special gift.

World of Art & Culture presents a cross-cultural feast

The Book Fair continues to be supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to stage the World of Art & Culture and industry-focused activities such as the International Publishing Forum and the IP Roundtable.

To further promote Hong Kong as an east-meets-west centre for international cultural exchange, the World of Art & Culture echoes the theme of the year with an exhibition titled “Book a Table ï½¥ Food for Thought” that uses food as a bridge to connect cultures and offers visitors a chance to savour life and explore the world through the dining table. The exhibition is a collaboration between eight artists and the consulates general of various countries in Hong Kong. It features eight tables curated by eight artists, each exploring themes related to food and healthy living, surplus and future, table etiquette, lifestyle and culture, process, experience, music, art, and more. The consulates general will showcase related books and exhibits from around the world while an interactive artificial intelligence (AI) device onsite will recommend books to visitors. In addition, more than 30 events, including talks and workshops, will be held to provide a multifaceted exploration of food culture. Ray Lok, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Hong Kong agritech company Full Nature Farms, will share insights on the latest sustainable diets and future farming.

This year’s Book Fair features the Cultural and Creative Products Zone for the first time, offering interactive experiences related to Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage and showcasing a curated selection of cultural and creative products from Macao and the Palace Museum in Beijing. This year’s Mainland China Pavilion will spotlight Sichuan, the home of pandas, as the thematic province.

Under the theme “Sichuan and Hong Kong: Weaving Culture, Crafting Tomorrow”, the pavilion will showcase Sichuan’s lifestyle through iconic elements such as food, wine, tea, opera and embroidery, all rooted in the province’s rich heritage. There will be a display of award-winning Sichuan publications, foreign publishing achievements, and a variety of panda-themed books and cultural and creative products. There will also be a series of industry exchange activities such as the International Publishing Forum, the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards and the Launch Ceremony of Publishing 3.0. The IP Roundtable will include a business matching session to help industry players explore business opportunities. (to be confirmed by branch office)

The 2025-26 Budget from the HKSAR Government mentioned plans to provide local technology companies with more physical displays for their products. In support of this initiative, the Book Fair will introduce the Hong Kong Tech Showcase area that will showcase innovative technology products in various areas including edtech, healthtech, sportstech, foodtech and more.

Eight Seminar Series explores the inspiration and wisdom of life

The Book Fair will continue to feature the Eight Seminar Series, inviting authors from around the world to share and exchange ideas with readers on topics including Theme of the Year, Renowned Writers, English and International Reading, World of Knowledge, Children and Youth Reading, Personal Development and Spiritual Growth and Hong Kong Cultural and Historical and Lifestyle. The Theme of the Year Seminar Series will invite notable writers related to food literature, including Andrew Chui, the fifth-generation heir of Tai Ping Koon Restaurant; Benny Li, a food review author; Yim Ho, a renowned director and dietary therapy expert; and Sian “Leo” Proctor, the first American woman to become a commercial spaceship pilot. Together, they will explore food culture, lifestyle and future technology, offering the audience fresh insights on life through the world of cuisine.

The Renowned Writers Seminar Series, co-organised by the HKTDC along with Ming Pao and Yazhou Zhoukan, will feature a lineup of highly influential Chinese-language writers who will share and interact with readers onsite. The heavyweight speakers include Lung Ying-tai, making a return to the Hong Kong Book Fair; Xu Ze-chen, Mao Dun Literature Prize winner for his novel Northward; Xu Zi-dong, former Chair of the Department of Chinese at Lingnan University; business management expert Feng Tang; and Zhu Jia-ming, one of the “four gentlemen of China’s market reform” and an expert on AI.

The English and International Reading Seminar Series brings international authors to Hong Kong every year, highlighting the city’s position as an international metropolis. The star-studded authors in 2025 include Japanese author Rie Qudan, who won the Akutagawa Prize in 2024 for her AI-themed novel; Cheon Seon-ran, selected as the "Young Writer Who Will Become the Future of Korean Literature”; Kim Bo-young, one of Korea’s leading science fiction authors; Nguyen Hanh Phuong (aka Rosy Black), a 16-year-old Vietnamese writer of English fiction stories; and Osamu Okamura, a Czech architect focusing on human-centred urban design. Speakers at other seminars include Jack So, former Chairman of the HKTDC; Ronnie Chan, Honorary Chair of the Hang Lung Properties Limited; Yuen Kwok-yung, Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong; and polar researcher Rebecca Lee. The Story Sharing by Celebrities session, meanwhile, will feature Vivian Kong, Olympic fencing gold medallist, Vicky Lau, the first female Michelin star chef in Hong Kong, and artists Carlos Chan and Grace Chan.

Sports and Leisure Expo runs concurrently with the FIBA 3x3 World Tour

The 15th National Games will be held this year with several events set to take place in Hong Kong. The Sports and Leisure Expo will feature an exhibition area where visitors can take photos with the mascots, Xiyangyang and Lerongrong, and learn more about the competitive events and mass participation events that are being hosted in Hong Kong. To tie in with the current basketball craze, the HKTDC is collaborating with M1 Group Limited to bring the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong 2025 international event to the HKCEC, where it will be held indoors for the first time on 19 and 20 July during the Sports and Leisure Expo. Ticket holders for the Book Fair can access the carnival-style 3x3 Village from 16 to 22 July, where they can enjoy various sports booth games and visit sports product showcases.

The Hong Kong Sports Institute (Booth 5C-B02) will once again set up a cheering zone and an exhibition area showcasing some of the precious items belonging to elite athletes, with visitors able to show their support for the Hong Kong stars as they prepare for the National Games. The popular Hong Kong Playground Association (Booth 5C-D02 &5C-E02) will also participate in the expo again. In addition to its signature mobile rope nets, the Association will introduce a new multi-sports experience zone, offering various sports experiences over the course of the seven-day exhibition period. Sports experiences include pickleball, rope skipping and running will feature on 16 and 17 July; street workouts will feature on 18 and 19 July; HADO AR dodgeball will be showcased on 20 and 21 July; and drone soccer features on 22 July. Making its debut at the event, Gymetaverse Company Limited (Booth 5C-C02) will promote the sport-finance concept through the LIVE4WELL sports rewards platform, encouraging the public to exercise more.

A new Travel Zone will debut this year, featuring the ever-popular Japan Pavilion along with the newly added Taiwan Pavilion and Thailand Pavilion. The Consulate General of Japan in Hong Kong will team up with 17 Japanese prefectures including Kagoshima, Okinawa, Shizuoka and Iwate, to participate in the Japan Pavilion, with a special focus on the Tohoku region’s popular local snacks beloved by tourists (Booth 5B-E23). Moreover, this zone highlights the Hong Kong attractions include GO PARK Sports (Booth 5B-E02) and the Sai Yuen Camping Adventure Park in Cheung Chau (Booth 5C-A05), offering visitors information on water and land sports, adventure activities and camping.

Discover Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand treats at the World of Snacks

This year’s World of Snacks will bring together more than 1,300 different treats featuring a variety of classic flavours, healthy options and handcrafted snacks from around the world. They include the stone-ground black sesame snacks that were selected for the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand 2025 (Heartwarming: Booth 5B-A21) as well as handcrafted sodas in special flavours such as ginger lemon honey and salted plum lemon honey (City Carbonation: Booth 5B-A10).

Cultural July brings the community together to promote the love of reading

In addition to the Book Fair, the HKTDC is once again organising Cultural July in collaboration with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government, publishers, and various educational, cultural and arts institutions. From 24 June to 31 July Cultural July will feature nearly 400 cultural activities including a food and culture tour, author sharing sessions, parent-child reading workshops, storytelling theatre, art exhibitions and handicraft workshops, all designed to promote a city-wide love of reading across each of Hong Kong’s 18 districts.

The Hong Kong Book Fair, Sports and Leisure Expo and World of Snacks will continue to offer a single ticket for entry to all three events. This year, the adult ticket price remains at HK$30, while special discounts such as Morning Admission Tickets, Special re-entry, and Tourist Tickets will continue to be available.

Source : Press Release