The 2026 Shanghai Book Fair, running from August 12 to 18, will spotlight Northeast China's Heilongjiang province as its guest of honor, while rolling out AI-powered experiences across its dual main venues at Shanghai Exhibition Center and Shanghai Book Mall.
This year's fair sets a new record with 1,420 reading events — a 12.1 percent increase from 2025 — transforming traditional book exhibitions into immersive cultural encounters.
Heilongjiang will bring 3,460 book titles and 74 journals to the fair, featuring landmark works such as A General History of Heilongjiang and The Right Bank of the Erguna River by renowned author Chi Zijian.
The province will also take the opportunity to promote its diverse ethnic cultures and tourism resources at the fair. Visitors can explore 68 intangible cultural heritage items, including fish-skin paintings of the Hezhe ethnic group and Daur embroidery, according to Zhao Fuyi, head of the press and publication bureau of Heilongjiang province. Interactive DIY sessions will allow guests to create personalized souvenirs. Meanwhile, the Heilongjiang delicacies zone offers local favorites such as Wuchang rice, birch sap and Modern popsicles.
In another highlight, the fair will embrace technology, inviting university students to produce AI-generated short videos based on Shanghai's cultural archives.
This year the book fair introduces an AI agent, which will create an online smart consultation platform to respond to all kinds of audience inquiries in real time.
"Whether it's ticketing and entry, event schedules, exhibitor directories, book information, or even transportation routes and facilities inside the venue, you can quickly get answers," said Zeng Yuan, head of the printing and distribution division of the publicity department of Shanghai.
While entry to Shanghai Book Mall, at 465 Fuzhou Road, remains free, entry to Shanghai Exhibition Center costs 10 yuan ($1.48) for day and 5 yuan for evening.
Visitors to the Shanghai Exhibition Center can enter using Alipay's "Tap!" feature for instant ID verification without physical documents.
