The 2025 South China Book Festival took place from Aug. 15 to 19 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou under the theme "Bay Area of Books, Reading the World, Sharing the Future."
This year's edition adopted a "1+1+N" format, with one main venue, one online platform, and 467 branch venues across the region. More than 1,500 publishing institutions from China and abroad showcased nearly 500,000 publications and cultural creative products. Together, the main and branch venues hosted 2,335 cultural activities.
The 40,000-square-meter main venue featured four themed exhibition halls—"Reading the World," "Reading the Future," "Reading Life," and "Reading Guangzhou"—alongside 24 specialized pavilions and four interactive zones.
The festival also welcomed its largest-ever lineup of literary and cultural figures, with more than 200 renowned guests from China and overseas. Attendees included Mao Dun Literature Prize winners Ge Fei and Liang Xiaosheng, Lijiang Literature Prize winner Liu Chuxin, and prominent scholars Dai Jianye, Kang Zhen, and Zheng Yongnian. Popular authors Ma Boyong, Liu Tong, Lu Sihao, Zhang Xiaoxian, and Bai Cha also joined, while Hong Kong director Wong Jing and musician Han Hong represented the entertainment sector.