The 2025 Tianfu Bookfair, set to run from October 17 to 20, is full of surprises—with book exhibits nestled in scenic spots, authors serving as tour guides, and even sweaters inspired by Lu Xun's style available for purchase. What else will the book fair reveal? On October 13, the Information Office of the People's Government of Sichuan Province held a press conference, outlining a reading feast that combines cultural depth with relaxed fun by highlighting key details of the book fair, including its implementation, public activities, resource allocation, and cross-regional exchanges.

Deepening Culture-Tourism Integration

Creating a Unique "Relaxed Exhibition-Going" Experience

At the press conference, Zhou Qing, Chairman of both Sichuan Xinhua Publishing Group and Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media Co., Ltd., emphasized that the core innovation of this year's book fair lies in the "deep integration of culture and tourism". He stated that this year's Bookfair closely follows the theme of "Splendid Sichuan: Land of Abundance", dedicated to creating immersive, multi-dimensional, and all-encompassing experiences. "We want visitors to explore the beauty of nature at the book fair and savor the charm of culture while touring scenic sites," Zhou Qing said.

Specifically, this year's book fair breaks through traditional venue boundaries for the first time by relocating its opening ceremony to cultural sites, including Liangshan's Jianchang Ancient Town, Yibin's Lizhuang Ancient Town, and Meishan's San Su Shrine Museum. Landmark book markets have been established at popular attractions, such as Wuhou Shrine and Langzhong Ancient City. Meanwhile, exclusive "Cultural Tourism Collector's Edition" bookplates have been launched for sites like the Sanxingdui Ruins and the Giant Panda Base. The event also features immersive experiences, such as "Tianfu Artisans" intangible cultural heritage workshops and author signing sessions, truly realizing the vision of "where reading meets scenery".

The main venue for this year's book fair is located at the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center. For the first time, a special Aba Prefecture Culture-Tourism Integration Zone will be established, allowing readers to experience textile embroidery and Thangka painting, enjoy performances of the Longtouqin (Dragon-head harp) and Salang dance, and purchase Tibetan pottery and other distinctive cultural creations, all without the need to travel far.

"Nor should the sense of relaxed enjoyment be missed while exploring the fair," Zhou Qing added. The main venue will feature a "Reading Through Sichuan" cultural park, launch new cultural and creative products, such as the "Knowledge Tote Bag", and restock the sold-out Shu embroidery collection that was snapped up immediately after its debut at the 2024 Tianfu Bookfair. This year's book fair will further refine its reading zones with new dedicated sections: a Silver Generation Reading Zone for seniors, a Gen Z Reading Zone for young readers, and a Frankfurt Book Fair Featured Books Zone for international literature, ensuring readers of all ages and nationalities can find their own perfect reading space. The Digital Theme Zone will host events like the "Rivalry in Tianfu: Battle for Glory" E-sports Tournament and more. Moreover, this year's book fair will, for the first time, introduce an intangible cultural heritage food street, allowing visitors to savor local delicacies from across Sichuan while browsing through books, thus truly embodying the unique atmosphere of "relaxed exhibition-going".

"Over the past six years, the Tianfu Bookfair has become a beloved cultural event for Chengdu residents," said Yang Xiaoming, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Chengdu Municipal Committee. He announced that this year's edition will launch the "Follow the Books to Travel" initiative, collaborating with ten major cultural landmarks, including Wuhou Shrine, Jinsha Site Museum, and Kuanzhai Alley, to create special programs, such as "Authors as Guides Day" and "Landmark Book Markets". An interactive check-in zone will be set up at the main venue, allowing visitors to stamp their tour of cultural landmarks, collect exclusive bookplates, and immerse themselves in cultural and creative products. Meanwhile, this year's book fair has invited renowned authors, such as A Lai and Du Yanglin, to hold dialogues centered on the theme "Life's Rich Tapestry: Between the Lines and Beyond". A special event titled "Sci-Fi Dreams, Homecoming through Farming and Reading" will be held in Donglin Village, Deyuan Subdistrict, Pidu District, Chengdu. The fair will also feature concentrated launches and sharing sessions for new books, including "The Magnificent Dunhuang: A Study of Zhang Daqian's Dunhuang Grottoes Investigation Notes" and "The Embroidery Manual".

A campaign to foster a love of reading among the public will also be launched concurrently. Yang Xiaoming explained that the province will utilize the "Seven Outreach" initiative as the primary vehicle to carry out reading activities in communities and campuses, organize reading promotion events, and host parent-child picture book sharing sessions alongside thematic lectures. Additionally, the "Chengdu Reading Month" will feature over 1,000 events in conjunction with the book fair.

Building Bridges of Exchange

Fostering a Nationwide Reading Culture and Cultural Prosperity

As both the "National Team of Publishing" and the permanent guest of honor at the Tianfu Bookfair, China Publishing Group will organize 23 of its affiliated publishers, including The Commercial Press, Zhonghua Book Company, and People's Literature Publishing House, to participate in this year's fair. They will bring over 4,000 types of premium books, a series of cultural and creative products, and more than ten cultural events.

Zang Yongqing, a member of the Party Leading Group of China Publishing Group Co., Ltd. and Deputy General Manager of China Publishing &Media Co., Ltd., stated that in terms of books, the exhibition will feature both thematic masterpieces, such as the first three compilations of "Revitalization Library" and "About China (Third Edition)", as well as new releases and bestsellers to meet the diverse needs of readers. In terms of cultural and creative products, a dedicated sales zone will be set up for the first time, gathering brands such as the "Treasures of Humanities" sweater series inspired by Lu Xun's style, the Chengdu limited-edition literary bundle, and "Rong Bao Cultural Creations". A special area will also be allocated for cultural products from Dege County in Sichuan Province, showcasing the progress in integrating publishing and cultural poverty-alleviation initiatives. On the cultural activities front, scholars and authors such as Han Yuhai, Lu Nei, and Bai Cha will be invited to host new book sharing sessions, academic dialogues, and other events. These activities are designed to build multi-dimensional bridges between authors and readers, fostering a rich atmosphere for reading.

"Both Sichuan and Shandong are major cultural provinces, and the Tianfu Book Fair provides an ideal platform for cultural exchange between the two regions," stated Guo Haitao, Board Member and General Manager of Shandong Publishing Group Co., Ltd. As the annual guest of honor, the Shandong Publishing Group will organize nine publishing houses to participate with over 1,300 Shandong-published books that span literature, social sciences, arts, children's books, and other fields.