Hong Kong model Chrissie Chau is swamped by reporters at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair while promoting her new photo book yesterday. Edmond Tang

HONG KONG: Celebrities and young models have stolen the limelight on the stage of the Hong Kong book fair for years. With the questionable appearance of pseudo-models this year, there was no question mark hanging over the sizable visitor turnout on the first day of the book fair.

The earliest, who rushed towards the booths once the fair got underway, were fans of pop singer Theresa Fu and Stephy Tang. Some said they had been queuing outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in shifts with around 300 other fans since early morning on July 18.

Maggie Yeung, the 30-year-old chairwoman of Teresa's fan club, bought over 20 books for herself and 300 for the fan club. She claimed club members have always been the first to enter during the past book fairs featuring Fu's works.

Lau Ka-ying, an 18-year-old recent middle school graduate, who was among the first to enter the fair, bought almost 200 books for Tang's fan club, in support of her idol. The girl also ordered books for fans overseas.

Rowena Chan, assistant general manager of Gold Typhoon Entertainment Limited, estimated 3,500 of the total 10,000 copies of Tang's books had already been sold by 11 am.

At least one publishing representative's attitude towards pseudo-models was positive. Anita Wan, retail director of The Commercial Press, the greatest exhibitor this year, welcomed increased diversity in publication.

She said the young models apparently attracted more visitors and thought it positively affected the book fair.

Buyers of young models' products ranged from teens to working adults of both sexes. Rosanna Lau, a 13-year-old junior middle school student, spent more than HK$100 buying young idol Angelababy's products, despite opposition from her mother to her "debut" at the fair.

Chester Yau, 20, was the first in the autograph queue for teen model Chrissie Chau. He went on to spend over HK$200 on the idol's products. Yesterday, the self-proclaimed protest-group leader for pseudo models, Isaac Cheung Chun-hoi, described his stance towards the models as neutral.The group thought the book fair should restrain extensive commercial promotion.

"Book fairs have been increasingly commercialized year after year. We don't want the annual fair losing its uniqueness to readers," Cheung said, adding their group was prescient in predicting that pseudo-models would generate large crowds that could potentially affect the general readers.

Mervyn Cheung Man-ping, an adjudicator of The Obscene Article Tribunal, commented on some pseudo-models' albums, one of which displays seductive poses and gestures of scantily-clad models. He said the underlying implication was much like a porno magazine and not suitable for all ages.

He suggested TDC should establish separate corners for not only the autograph sessions but also for such albums. "It seems contradictory to what TDC is promoting - the healthy reading habit among the public," He added.

However, the spokesman of the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority said they had not found any particular publication in violation of the Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance when they patrolled the fair yesterday.

(HK Edition 07/23/2009 page1)