The seven-day 2020 Shanghai Book Fair, in
its 17th edition, ended on Tuesday. Despite the impact of the unexpected
epidemic, the fair this year has seen numerous reading events both online and offline,
attracting numerous visitors to enjoy the fun of reading.
Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, lots of
domestic and international book fairs have been canceled or delayed. Shanghai
has taken many preventative measures to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
According to the regulations, visitors had to register with their identity
cards in advance, show health codes and get their temperatures checked before
entering the venue. The organizers also limited the number of daily visitors.
In addition to these physical precautions,
this year’s fair also held online platforms to satisfy the demands of people
who couldn’t come to Shanghai. A lot of big-name publishers, including Shanghai
Century Publishing Group, East China Normal University Publishing and Yue Yue
Book, introduced the latest books and best sellers on livestreaming platforms,
which boosted sales.
Statistics show that by Monday, online
events had been watched over 6 million times and online pages related to the
fair had been visited about 114 million times. The fair this year made
innovations in both content and form, promoting the development of bookstores
and stimulating consumer enthusiasm.
Launched in 2004, the Shanghai Book Fair has
grown into a big cultural festival for both locals and visitors. Next year, the
fair will celebrate its eighteenth anniversary.