"Attending this grand and vibrant book fair has made me feel young again," expressed Wang Meng, 90-year-old laureate of the "People's Artist" honor, on October 17. His words inaugurated the 2025 Tianfu Bookfair. Under the theme "A Fragrant World of Books in Tianfu, Leisurely Reading in Sichuan", the four-day book fair transformed reading into a cultural resonance across the Tianfu region, infused with warmth, vitality, and profound influence.

On October 20, as the 2025 Tianfu Bookfair concluded, a press conference unveiled the scale of this cultural extravagance through key figures: over 800,000 book titles exhibited and sold, more than 1,200 cultural events held, generating a total price volume of 109 million yuan for books and cultural creative products and a total price volume of 305 million yuan for library procurement transactions during the Library Resource Allocation and Development Trade Conference, and attracting over 63 million visits both online and offline.

How Books Shape Souls:

Cultural Vitality through Triple Immersion

What constitutes a book fair's unique essence? It is cultural inclusivity shared by all, a convergence of industry resources, and, more profoundly, an expansion of horizons through mutual learning among civilizations.

"Sichuan is a land steeped in the fragrance of books, where a love for reading and the art of living are etched into the city's DNA," said Wu Shulin, Chairman of The Publishers Association of China. This cultural DNA materialized into tangible public benefits at the book fair. The organizing committee distributed 15 million yuan in book vouchers to citizens, directly stimulating over 73 million yuan in cultural spending. In the "Light of Truth" exhibition zone of publications on the Party's new theories, readers immersed themselves in "Stories shared by Xi Jinping", while on-site "Xuexi Qiangguo" quiz competitions drew enthusiastic participation. The "Fulfill Reading Dreams" charity campaign expanded from Sichuan to 17 provinces nationwide, promising to deliver books to more than 66,000 rural children.

"A book fair is like a flame, igniting a city's cultural atmosphere, after which the passion for reading disperses into daily life like starlight." This observation by writer Qiao Ye precisely captures the lasting impact of book fairs on national reading initiatives.

The depth of professional exchange defines a book fair's substantive impact. As a core component, the 13th National Publications for Library Resource Allocation and Development Trade Conference attracted nearly 600 publishing institutions nationwide. China Publishing Group, as the permanent guest of honor, mobilized 23 affiliated publishing units to present over 4,000 premium titles, including landmark works such as the "Revitalization Library" (Volumes I-III) and "About China (Third Edition)". Shandong Publishing Group, as the annual guest of honor, presented over 1,300 quality titles from the province, including achievements from the "Shandong Cultural Genealogy" project, such as the "Ru Dian" (Confucian Canon) and the "Qilu Wenku" (Qilu Library). Publishers from Sichuan and Shandong held dedicated dialogues on "Revitalizing Local Classics". These activities ultimately led to procurement transactions with a total price volume of 305 million yuan.

"The Tianfu Bookfair's industry influence continues to grow, with an increasing number of major professional events choosing to anchor here." This insight from Li Yongqiang, President of China Renmin University Press, underscores the fair's emerging role as a pivotal hub for publishing exchanges.

Marking its inaugural partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair, this year's event featured a dedicated exhibition zone showcasing "Most Beautiful German Books 2024". The International Bookstore area presented a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage product display to showcase thousands of imported original editions, with English-language picture book "The World of Pandas" and German edition "Sanxingdui: Bronze Age Marvels" ranking among the top sellers, enabling readers to read the world without leaving Chengdu.

Ehsan Doostmohammadi, Iranian sinologist and recipient of the 16th Special Book Award of China, and James Edward Ayala, American giant panda researcher, jointly served as Reading Ambassadors. Ehsan further shared insights in Chinese on his experience translating "The Analects of Confucius". The young members of Germany's Chinese Choir at the Burg presented their trilingual book "Harmony in a Foreign Key: Decoding China Through Songs" (Chinese/English/German), which documents their study abroad experiences in China through childhood perspectives that resonated deeply with the audience.

"Through the book fair's international platforms, we are transforming local cultural symbols like giant pandas and Sanxingdui into globally shared IP, more effectively facilitating Chinese culture's journey to the world," stated Zhou Qing, Party Secretary and Chairman of Xinhua Winshare.

Empowered by Ease:

New Expressions through Multi-Dimensional Advancement

The essence of "Leisurely Reading in Sichuan" transcends mere comfort—it embodies a thoughtful integration of reading into the fabric of daily life.

"The Tianfu Bookfair has evolved beyond a mere book marketplace into a curatorial platform and experiential gateway for Sichuan's cultural tourism content," explained She Pan, director of the "Reading Meets Sichuan" Cultural Theme Park. This claim finds confirmation throughout the main exhibition hall. The AR interactive zone, popular with Gen Z, uses technology to transport readers beyond the pages. The Silver-Haired Reading Area curates beloved books for seniors and offers health consultations. At the intangible cultural heritage food street, handmade traditional snacks were in high demand. The digital theme zone's Honor of Kings tournament attracted over 200 competing teams, with young participants cheering the experience as "hitting the right note".

Through ingenious cultural-tourism integration, "reading ten thousand books" converges with "traveling ten thousand miles" at the book fair. Breaking conventional venue boundaries for the first time, this year's Tianfu Bookfair extended its reach to 13 iconic cultural tourism landmarks as satellite venues. Launch ceremonies for satellite venues were held at Liangshan's Jianchang Ancient City, Yibin's Lizhuang Ancient Town, and Meishan's San Su Shrine Museum. Chengdu's Wuhou Shrine established special book zones on "Historical Exploration" and "Three Kingdoms for Children". Nanchong's Langzhong Ancient City launched a "Cultural Landmark Book Market". The Sanxingdui Museum and Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding launched special "Cultural Tourism Collector's Edition" bookplates, which readers could redeem for corresponding attraction tickets by checking in on-site. Mianyang's "Reading-Based Journey" mobile book fair attracted over 30,000 participants on its opening day. Many readers remarked, "Exploring this book fair felt like a preview tour of Sichuan's entire cultural landscape."

"Young people's reliance on travel guides and fixation on checklist tourism are costing them opportunities to 'traverse the land and strengthen the spirit'. By connecting with cultural landmarks, the book fair guides readers to deeply appreciate the beauty of landscapes—continuing the same tradition of 'reading through travel' that Su Dongpo embodied in his Record of Stone Bell Mountain and Odes to the Red Cliff," noted A Lai during the "Sichuan Literary Masters Book Recommendations" (Season 3) awards ceremony and literary dialogue.

The Aba Cultural-Tourism Integration Zone in the main exhibition hall emerged as a viral hotspot, where visitors could try their hand at traditional embroidery and Thang-ga painting, watch performances of Tibetan Zhega storytelling, Qiang sheepskin drum dances with Longtouqin (Dragon-head harp) accompaniment, and purchase intangible cultural heritage products like Tibetan incense and pottery. The rich ethnic ambiance transported readers on an immersive journey through the Aba Prefecture.

Precision in serving diverse groups fostered a sense of belonging for every visitor at the book fair. At the book signing events for Yang Hongying and Uncle Tank, young readers formed long, enthusiastic queues. Mao Dun Literature Prize laureate Xu Zechen engaged in a face-to-face dialogue with readers about his "Stories from Elsewhere", drawing a full house at the event.

"The entire book fair is radiating youthful vitality, mirroring Chengdu's own captivating energy," remarked Gu Qing, Party Secretary and Executive Director of The Commercial Press, after touring the exhibition.

Sustaining Cultural Legacy:

Deepening Industrial Development in Sichuan

The impact of a book fair extends far beyond its four-day spectacle.

"Since its inception in 2019, the Tianfu Bookfair has rapidly evolved into one of China's pivotal literary events through its high-quality execution and strategic advancement, contributing significantly to cultural development across southwestern China and beyond," stated Ai Limin, Chairman of the Books and Periodicals Distribution Association of China, capturing the fair's significance that transcends its role as a mere exhibition.

For Sichuan's publishing industry, the 109 million yuan total price volume in book and cultural creative product sales has provided an immediate confidence boost to the sector. The strong sales of locally-themed books like "The Road to the Snowy Region" and "The Philosophy of Ease" demonstrate the competitive edge gained through "cultivating regional culture and crafting quality content". The integrated model—blending online and offline platforms, combining exhibitions with sales, and converging industry professionals with the general public—offers the publishing industry a prototype for exploring a new "content + distribution + experience" paradigm.

For the cultural tourism sector, the book fair has become a new engine powered by intellectual property. Sanxingdui bookplates and Aba intangible cultural heritage experiences have emerged as new tourism magnets, where the deep integration of literary works with scenic sites transforms cultural depth into the core appeal of travel consumption, effectively extending the value chain of the "Sichuan Ease" tourism brand.

"The Tianfu Bookfair represents a vibrant cultural landmark in the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle," remarked Li Bin, Party Secretary and Chairman of Chongqing Xinhua Publishing Group Co., Ltd.

As the last reader departed with cherished books, the story of the 2025 Tianfu Bookfair had already woven itself into the city's collective memory. More than 63 million participations reflect the public's cultural yearning; the exhibition of 800,000+ book titles and 1,200+ events demonstrates the industry's commitment to quality content; while the reading spark described by Wang Meng as "gathering spiritual strength" and the deep reading philosophy advocated by A Lai will continue nourishing the land of Tianfu.

Though this four-day spectacle has concluded, the cultural vitality and industrial momentum it ignited continue to root and flourish across Sichuan, nurturing the seeds of a "Fragrant World of Books in Tianfu".