The 2019 South China Book Festival will be marked in Zhuhai with not only books but also hi-tech exhibitions, cultural exchanges, and virtual visits to local Chinese revolutionary sites.

A key cultural project in Guangdong Province, the Aug 16-20 book festival was inaugurated in 1993. It is based in Guangzhou and has branch venues around the province.

The Zhuhai sub-venue, sponsored by the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and organized by Zhuhai Media Group, will be set up outdoors in Hi City in front of the Zhuhai Opera House. It is to be held from 5 to 10 pm from Aug 16 to 18.

Cultural books available [Photo by Zhao Zi / Zhuhai Daily]

Attention will be focused on an exhibition area featuring the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China where books displayed will highlight patriotism and revolutionary themes.

Visitors can try the virtual reality headset provided at the area to have an interactive virtual tour of six major Zhuhai revolutionary sites including Su Zhaozheng's Former Residence, Historic Relics Showroom of Yang Pao'an, Xiangzhou Martyrs Cemetery, and Wanshan Sea Battle Historic Site.

Virtual tours

According to Hou Yanjun, head of the organizing committee, there will be 25 20-cm-(7.87-inch)-high robots collectively singing revolutionary songs. There will also be equipment related to 3D printing and simultaneous translation technologies.

The main exhibition venue will have several areas with a variety of themes: education, education technology products, Zhuhai-Macao creative and cultural products, children's calligraphy and painting, language, culture and technology, and bookstore brands.

VR tour guides [Photos courtesy WeChat official account: zhtqb12345]

Among the brands are Anhui People's Publishing House, Hunan Science & Technology Publishing House, and Education Science Press. They and other noted houses will gather in the bookstore cluster area. Meanwhile, the China Language Industry Research institute, together with 20 leading domestic companies, will demonstrate their proficiency in the language field.

Xinhua Bookstore, Readzone, Wenhua Bookstore, and Coast Books will hold parallel sessions in their own locations across the city from Aug 16 to 20.