The 35th Hong Kong Book Fair took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from July 16 to 22. To promote city-wide reading and strengthen cultural ties between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Shenzhen Publishing Group, with guidance from the Shenzhen Municipal Publicity Department, hosted a series of activities under the theme “Twin Cities, One Reading”at the fair. The initiative highlights the vibrant cultural exchange within the Greater Bay Area and brings a distinctive Shenzhen-Hong Kong imprint to the event.

The “Twin Cities, One Reading”themed pavilion, located at the main exhibition hall, showcased recommended books by renowned authors, the innovative BookWalkcultural tourism guide, and a preview of Eye of the Bay Area, a next-generation cultural complex. Over 500 publications exploring the literary, historical, scientific, artistic, and lifestyle dimensions of Shenzhen and Hong Kong were on display and sale, offering readers a rich journey into the cultural links between the two cities. To encourage participation, summer discount vouchers were also distributed, creating a welcoming and bookish atmosphere for visitors.

Enhancing the reader experience, the BookWalkguide introduced three specially curated “Reading + Cultural Tourism” routes:

Luohu/Liantang/Huanggang Port – Luohu District – Futian District

Shenzhen Bay Port – Nanshan District – Bao’an District

Shenzhen North Station – Longhua District – Longgang District

Each route weaves together reading, creative design, sightseeing, and community activities, inviting participants to explore the cultural heartbeat of the Bay Area through both books and travel.

The “Twin Cities, One Reading”project is a cross-city cultural initiative jointly launched by the governments of Shenzhen and Hong Kong under the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. At this year’s fair, the project presented achievements in cultural, artistic, and educational exchanges, as well as highlights from the “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Reading Together”series of activities—painting a vivid picture of a humanistic and interconnected Bay Area.

Since its inception, the “Twin Cities, One Reading”project has marked key occasions such as Shenzhen Reading Month and World Book Day with a wide array of cross-border reading programs. These efforts continue to foster a shared sense of cultural belonging and enhance reading engagement across the region, injecting lasting momentum into the Bay Area’s cultural development.