2026 South China Book Festival opens in Guangzhou

The 2026 South China Book Festival officially opened on August 27 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. Under the theme ‘Fragrant Lingnan, Learning for the Long Term,’ the event utilizes a three-in-one structure consisting of a main venue, regional sub-venues, and an online cloud book fair.

The main venue covers approximately 40,000 square meters and features four themed halls: ‘Reading the Era,’ ‘Reading the World,’ ‘Reading Life,’ and ‘Reading New Knowledge.’ The festival showcases nearly 30,000 overseas original books and over 500,000 publications and cultural products, featuring more than 300 domestic and international publishing institutions.

Key highlights include an upgraded international zone leveraging the APEC ‘China Year’ opportunity, featuring an APEC-themed cultural pavilion. Thailand serves as the guest of honor, with a dedicated pavilion showcasing film props and overseas Chinese culture. The festival also includes a new Lifelong Learning Pavilion and the release of the first batch of the ‘Four Great Series,’ a project aimed at preserving Lingnan’s historical and cultural documents.

To ensure broad accessibility, the festival has established 437 sub-venues across 21 cities in Guangdong, as well as in Hong Kong and Macau, hosting over 1,500 reading promotion activities.