35th Hong Kong Book Fair attracts some 900,000 visits despite Typhoon

A Hong Kong spotlight event in July and a feature of Hong Kong Summer Viva, the 35th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair, 8th HKTDC Sports and Leisure Expo and 5th HKTDC World of Snacks drew to a successful close today. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the three events brought together more than 770 exhibitors, combining the fun of reading, sports, leisure and food to create a summer extravaganza with widespread appeal. Although the passage of the typhoon forced a full-day closure on Sunday, the three exhibitions still attracted 890,000 visits.

Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The Hong Kong Book Fair has long been a popular event for local people and visitors alike. The enthusiasm of booklovers remained undiminished despite the typhoon on Sunday. Many seized the time before and after the typhoon to visit and immerse themselves in this cultural and leisure extravaganza, with a robust turnout. We extended the opening hours on Monday, striving to secure more sales and visiting opportunities for exhibitors and visitors and bring this big summer event to a successful close.”

Chong added that this year's 35th edition of the Book Fair, themed “Food Culture: Future Living”, featured three special offers that were well received, including free admission for more than 10,000 individuals born in 1990. “These initiatives received an enthusiastic response, with seminars reaching full capacity. Esteemed writers from various regions engaged with booklovers, further cementing Hong Kong’s position as an east-meets-west centre for international cultural exchange,” she said.

In conjunction with the Book Fair, the Sports and Leisure Expo and World of Snacks offered a diverse range of experiences and culinary delights, creating synergies for visitors and enhancing the overall event experience. The HKTDC will continue to organise a variety of exhibitions, with the Food Expo, Food Expo PRO, Beauty & Wellness Expo, Home Delights Expo, and Hong Kong International Tea Fair all taking place in August. The overarching goal is to present exhibitors with new business opportunities that can contribute to the sustained growth and vibrancy of the Hong Kong economy.

Enthusiasm of booklovers remains high despite typhoon

Big crowds of visitors were seen throughout the Book Fair. Exhibitor Creation Cabin Limited, which experienced long queues as soon as the fair opened, followed the Kowloon Walled City craze to launch Citi of Darkness: The Rise within the Walls 1973-1988, attracting many Japanese readers. Editor Shing Kit said: "We saw about 30 to 40 Japanese readers visiting our booth each day. One of them had even made a special effort to renew their passport to travel to Hong Kong to purchase the book at the Book Fair, which is truly touching."

First-time exhibitor Anything But also experienced long queues. Booth representative Ms Tai stated that business surpassed expectations, with sales in the first three days exceeding their projections by 30%. Although the typhoon caused a one-day halt, the overall results still beat their estimates. "The Book Fair is a great opportunity for us to connect with readers,” she said. “In addition to local booklovers, many readers travelled to Hong Kong from Macao, Singapore and Malaysia, and one even rescheduled a flight to arrive earlier on Saturday because of the typhoon."

An antiquities shop specialising in calligraphy and artworks, Tsi Ku Chai was also participating in the exhibition for the first time, meticulously crafting their booth in the new Cultural and Creative Products Zone of the Book Fair. Brian Lai, Administrative Director of the company, said: "Business on Saturday doubled compared to weekdays, with many young people visiting. We aim to rejuvenate our brand by collaborating with artists to launch cultural and creative products, and the Book Fair served as an excellent testing ground for this."

Long-time visitor Ms Lee attended the Book Fair this year before the typhoon hit Hong Kong and was pleased with the atmosphere and arrangements. She mentioned that she couldn’t explore the entire fair in one day, so upon learning about the early opening on Monday, she decided to visit again and continue searching for her favourite items, mainly purchasing stationery and speciality products. She spent nearly HK$2,000 in total this year, which is more than in previous years.

Over 50 percent of Book Fair visitors attended to explore new books

During the Book Fair, more than 860 visitors were interviewed by a research institute commissioned by the HKTDC to gain insights into their reading and spending habits. The survey showed that respondents spent an average of HK$918 at this year’s Book Fair, a slight increase compared to last year, and that this spending accounted for 57% of their annual print book expenditure. Over 90% of exhibitors at the three fairs offered an electronic payment service, while 81% of visitors interviewed said they used electronic payments for their transactions. 

The main objectives for people visiting the Book Fair were given as obtaining newly released books (55%), enjoying discounts (49%) and experiencing the cultural atmosphere of an international book fair (27%). The Book Fair is pivotal as the premier destination for booklovers seeking high-quality reading materials, providing a crucial platform for promotions and sales within the publishing industry. The survey also showed that the most popular book categories among readers this year were fiction and novels (45%), children and youth-related books (25%), literature (23%), comics (17%), and supplementary exercise (16%).

Reading enthusiasm sweeps through July with more exciting content

To further promote reading and culture in Hong Kong, the Book Fair is once again organising Cultural July, featuring multiple cultural activities across the city’s 18 districts. The activity is organised in collaboration with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government as well as publishers and various educational, cultural and arts institutions. Activities will continue until 31 July – more details can be found at

https://hkbookfair.hktdc.com/CulturalJuly/index.aspx.

Recordings of selected Book Fair seminars are available online and can be revisited at any time through the Book Fair website or via other HKTDC online platforms.

Visitors enjoy sports, leisure and culinary experiences at concurrent fairs

To support the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, and to promote wider sports participation among the public, the Sports and Leisure Expo featured an exhibition area where visitors could take photos with games mascots Xiyangyang and Lerongrong. Appealing to individuals of all ages, the expo provided information on the National Games and let visitors try out emerging sports, AI-driven sports and a wellness management platform as well as different sports and leisure products. The FIBA 3x3 World Tour Hong Kong 2025 basketball tournament, held indoors at the HKCEC for the first time, also introduced a carnival-style 3x3 Village that offered visitors a multitude of experiences to enjoy. The World of Snacks gathered over 1,300 different products this year, featuring a variety of global snacks, classic flavours, healthy options and handcrafted snacks, ensuring that visitors left with a full array of treats.