Lower turnout at Hong Kong Book Fair after Typhoon Wipha hit city
In comparison, the book fair attracted 990,000 visitors last year.
The Hong Kong Book Fair 2025, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai from Wednesday to Tuesday, was forced to close on Sunday due to Typhoon Wipha.
Afterwards, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), which organises the annual fair, extended the opening hours on Monday.
The organiser tried to put a positive spin on the lower turnout. 'Although the passage of the typhoon forced a full-day closure on Sunday, the three exhibitions still attracted 890,000 visits,' the HKTDC said in a statement on Tuesday.
Visitors from mainland China, Japan, and Southeast Asia attended the book fair, the organiser also said.
More than 860 visitors who took part in a survey commissioned by the HKTDC spent an average of HK$918, showing a slight increase from last year despite the typhoon-induced closure on Sunday, according to the HKTDC statement.
One exhibitor was quoted as saying that the first three days exceeded projections by 30 per cent.
However, local media reported that booksellers saw lower sales this year by around 10 to 20 per cent compared with last year. Some also said fewer people visited the fair on Monday than in the first few days.
At least three independent publishers were barred from participating in the 2025 book fair. Two of them, Bbluesky and Boundary Bookstore, were ordered by the HKTDC to remove certain titles from their shelves last year.
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