The Beijing International Book Fair is an annual event held in Beijing, China. It is now considered one of the world’s foremost book exhibitions, attracting publishers, authors and visitors from around the world. In 2012 the Beijing Book Fair will celebrate its nineteenth anniversary taking place from the 29th of August to the 2nd of September. This year the Republic of Korea will be the ‘Country of Honour’ and there will be a special focus on Korean literature. The fair is not just a place containing a lot of book stalls where one can get that hard to find book; forums, seminars and cultural events all play a major role in this event.
The fair will be held at the China International Exhibition Centre, spread over 50,000 square metres of exhibition space. Admission is free although visitors will have to fill out a registration form at the entrance. Getting there will not be difficult as the venue is easily accessible by bus and subway. There is also a complimentary shuttle operated by the book fair organisers that ferry visitors from different parts of the city. The fair will be open between 9 am and 5 pm.
One of China’s oldest cities, Beijing is the perfect portal into the Orient. It is a transport hub from which the farthest reaches of China can be accessed and many tourists pass through the city as they delve deeper into the country. However, for those who intend on staying a bit before moving on, the city offers a number of interesting attractions. Some of them, such as the Silk Market, are well known while others, like the Temple of Moon, are not as popular, but still worth visiting.
The city can get pretty crowded during the fair so those planning on visiting the Chinese capital should book their Beijing hotel well in advance. Travellers looking for Beijing luxury hotels can try Raffles Beijing Hotel. It is ideally situated in the heart of the city’s financial and commercial district, and is within easy reach of popular city landmarks such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square.