The 2023 South China Book Festival's Zhuhai session will be held from Aug 19 to 23 at the Zhuhai International Convention and Exhibition Center. 

Zhuhai Reading Month will be held for the first time this year, starting from Aug 19 to Sept 18, presenting a thematic, diverse, and rich cultural feast that will allow readers from Zhuhai, as well as those from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to enrich their lives through the written word.

The event boosts a venue of 5,000 square meters (1.2 acres) and will feature eight exhibition zones, including areas for the Most Beautiful Bookstores in Zhuhai, art, cultural creative products, and more.

Of note, the cultural tourism display area will showcase Zhuhai's intangible cultural heritage items and cultural tourism resources, promote Chinese traditional culture and Zhuhai's local culture, and contribute to cultural inheritance and rural vitalization.

Readers select books during a previous South China Book Festival. [File photo by Zhu Xi / Zhuhai Daily]

Nine bookstores, including Xinhua Bookstore, Readzone, and Coast Books, which have been awarded the titles of "Most Beautiful Bookstores in Zhuhai," will also participate in the exhibition. Themed exhibitions will be planned to show the charm of local bookstores.

The main venue in Shizimen will set up an "Author Sharing Zone" and invite top authors to hold reader meet-ups and book signing events. More than 20 well-known and emerging authors will be invited to share their experiences in writing and reading with the attendees, including Cao Wenxuan, a Hans Christian Andersen Award winner; Zhu Yong, director of the Palace Museum Cultural Communication Research Institute; and Actor Zhang Jinlai, known by his stage name Liu Xiaolingtong, who portrayed the popular character Monkey King in the 1986 series.

To highlight Zhuhai's local cultural characteristics and the achievements of local writers, three local literary brand activities will be held in Guangzhou and Zhuhai, gathering renowned writers in both cities. 

Pressing issues around local literary works in the Greater Bay Area, urban literature, the construction of the Greater Bay Area, cultural construction, and urban aesthetics will be discussed at these events. Field trips for writers from Zhuhai and Macao will also be held. 

Attendees that buy books at the Zhuhai International Convention and Exhibition Center will be able to enjoy a 20 percent discount, and 6,000 book vouchers will be distributed on-site. Those who spend over 100 yuan ($14) will have a chance of winning free books, and those who spend over 200 yuan ($27) will participate in a lottery in which the prizes include exquisite cultural and creative gifts.

The main venue and the various branch venue in the city will coordinate with each other to hold a variety of online and offline reading activities, thus creating a strong message that encourages reading nationwide.

During Zhuhai Reading Month, a total of 44 branch venues will be set up in Zhuhai's libraries, bookstores, rural bookstores, and cultural stations, with a total area of over 100,000 square meters (27.4 acres). 

Additionally, the Guanhai App will create a 24-hour book festival experience for its users through live streams and online shopping platforms.