The 2025 Shanghai Book Fair shattered attendance and sales records while expanding its cultural footprint across the Yangtze River Delta. Held from August 13-19, the event adopted a dual-main-venue model at the Shanghai Exhibition Center and Shanghai Book City, supported by 16 district sub-venues and 100 participating bookstores citywide.
Unprecedented Engagement
Visitor numbers surged 28.4% year-on-year to 382,000 attendees, with book sales reaching 64.73 million yuan ($8.9 million). Cultural product sales doubled to 10.17 million yuan ($1.4 million), reflecting growing interest in creative literary merchandise.
Wuzhen's Debut as Co-Host
The ancient water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang province partnered with Shanghai for the first time, blending its UNESCO-recognized heritage with literary programming. Over 70 unconventional reading spaces emerged in teahouses, hotels, and dining venues, creating what Dublin's James Joyce Centre Director Darina Gallagher called "one big flowing library."
Gallagher participated in cross-cultural dialogues, noting: "I especially like the emphasis on readers. Cultural exchanges of this kind are truly inspiring." Her engagement highlighted the fair's international appeal.
Regional Cultural Integration
The event strengthened ties across eastern China, featuring 30 booksellers from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces. This collaboration transformed the fair into a regional cultural hub, offering tens of thousands of books and creative products to visitors from across Asia and beyond.
