Young Chinese emerge as main buying force at book fair

With the rise of new media, book promotion methods are continuously evolving. Yuan notes that publishers are increasingly prone to promoting their new books through online platforms, such as Bilibili, Douyin and Xiaohongshu — all popular among young readers.

Yuan emphasizes that staying relevant and effectively sharing quality content through online platforms will be a key strategy for future development.

"I have always been fond of social sciences, history and science fiction. The variety of books at this fair and their exquisite designs have really opened my eyes. I particularly love books that come with cultural products, as they have both reading value and collectible significance," says Zhou Wenqiang, a young reader.

"Many readers now not only buy books but also enjoy purchasing related cultural products," says Yuan Zizhan, a book editor.

Additionally, the influence of anime and ACG (animation, comic, game) culture among the young is increasingly reflected in their consumption habits.

Publisher Wu Shiyu says that his organization has recently focused on introducing anime series books, and has begun to expand into manga products, which have a stable audience and sales in the domestic market.

He also observed that the reading preferences of young people have become quite diverse, encompassing social sciences, literature, aesthetics and philosophy, with increasing attention paid to political and historical books. This may be related to the rise of social media influencers dealing with knowledge and reading, he says.

This year's fair hosted over 1,000 cultural events, covering various aspects such as reading sharing, new book releases and author signings.