CRI听力:The 14th Shanghai Book Fair is Underway

A die-hard sci-fi buff, college student Zhang Shi has been looking forward to meet his literary heroes for years. During one of the panel discussions at this year's Shanghai Book Fair, his dream finally comes true. 

But the young man is not without regret. 

"I come from Jiangsu and I could only stay in Shanghai for just a couple of days. I have to plan out my schedule carefully."

His sentiment of being tied up might be shared by many other bibliophiles, since more than 900 forums, book talks, and reading activities fill the week-long event, a much bigger scale than last year. 

Xu Jiong, head of Shanghai Municipal Press and Publication Bureau, says that nearly 150,000 different kinds of books from over 500 publishers are displayed this time. To celebrate the upcoming 19th Session of the National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a special set of books is also introduced.

"On one hand, these selected books showcase how Chinese publishing industry has progressed in the past five years. On the other hand, they demonstrate the achievements in innovation and reform from all walks of life. "

But the Shanghai Book Fair is not all about cultural activities and selling books. 

Since 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the Nationwide War Against the Japanese Aggression, two oil paintings that illustrate the interested parties of the Tokyo Trial are exhibited to the public. Also known as the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, the trail tried the leaders of Japan for three types of war crimes in 1946.

Li Bin is the creator of the paintings. 

"I wanted to draw something about the Tokyo Trail almost a decade ago. But around that time, i merely focused on the Chinese tribunal. Then as i learnt more about the past, I realized that it was not just about China or Japan. The trial displays the confrontation between justice and evil of all humanity. That's why I drew all the tribunal and war criminals. "

Since science fiction is the focus of this year's International Literary Week, a side event of the book fair was held and some of the A-list writers from both China and abroad have been invited. The star-studded lineup includes Chinese novelists Wang Jinkang, Han Song, American best-selling author Rysa Walker, British writer Richard K. Morgan, and the youngest Akutagawa Prize winner, Hirano Keiichiro.

Running from 9AM to 9PM every day, the 14th Shanghai Book Fair will come to a close next Tuesday.