The continuing success of HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair is a tribute to its long-term exhibitors and to the enthusiasm of the Hong Kong public for reading and education. Each year, for 24 years, the growing number of visitors has reaffirmed the popularity of the fair, reaching over 980,000 in 2013. To appreciate the drawing power of the Hong Kong Book Fair, take a look at the most recent edition in 2013. Its theme was “Reading the World. Reading for a Better World”. A record number of exhibitors - 560 from 30 countries & regions - presented their offerings to over 980,000 visitors, not only from Hong Kong but from the Chinese mainland and other parts of Asia. More than 400 cultural events involving nearly 250,000 participants brought even more value and excitement to the fair. A number of high-profile international authors participated in the 2013 fair, including American writer Erica Jong and British writers Jung Chang and William Shawcross. The Renowned Writers Seminar Series, organised by the HKTDC, Ming Pao and Yazhou Zhoukan, featured 14 writers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States. They included mainland writer Wang Anyi, author of The Everlasting Regret, Taiwanese poet and painter Xi Murong, and Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai, who hosted a seminar on film, literature and martial arts with Taiwanese author Zhang Dachun. The fair’s Art Gallery spotlighted “Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang,” an animated, 3D exhibition featuring a 360-degree panoramic projection theatre. Using virtual reality technology, the exhibition offered a close-up look at Buddhist wall paintings spanning 1,000 years in the Mogao Caves, a World Heritage site in northwest China. Wisely’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition, honouring Hong Kong writer Ni Kuang, author of the enduring science fiction series “Wisely,” featured book covers, manuscripts and other memorabilia. An exhibition highlighting the achievements of the Book Fair’s “Author of the Year,” Chan Koon Chung, was also on display at the Art Gallery.