In a year when a lot of us have been stuck at home, books give us an opportunity to explore a world beyond the walls of our living room or bedroom, where we can spend time with familiar characters or take the plunge and meet new ones.
This is the theme of the Sixth Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) Picture Book Exhibition, held at Cozybo2k Bookstore on Gongti Donglu, which encourages children to “open a picture book, [and]find a new world.” Although BIBF finished at the beginning of October, the Picture Book Exhibition proved so popular that it has been extended to the end of December.
The 600-square-meter exhibition space is divided into 10 themed areas, including areas dedicated to popular franchises like Harry Potter, Star Wars, the Jungle Book, and Disney princesses. You may even get to read with a Disney princess! The books on display come from all around the world in all different languages to suit kids (and big kids) of all ages. All of the books are free to read or look at — the goal here is encouraging people to enjoy picture books, rather than selling them. There are plenty of interactive play areas designed around the themes of the exhibition areas, as well as cozy nooks to sit and read.
If you get hungry during the exhibition, there is an Alice in Wonderland-themed rest area on the fifth floor, where you can enjoy a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, with products provided by food and drink brand Oishi.
The Picture Book Exhibition is on until Dec 27. Tickets (RMB 198 for one adult and one child on weekdays or RMB 218 on weekends) can be purchased from Huodongxing or via the exhibition’s official WeChat account (WeChat ID: BIBF-PICBOOK). You will also need to book a slot a minimum of one day in advance via the official WeChat account. To do that, go to the official account homepage and click 购票预约 and then 预约到店 (note that the booking page is in Chinese).
Images: Unsplash (Jerry Wang), Dianping, BIBF
