Ditan Book Fair 2026: Beijing's enduring bond with the written word

"A nation that reads is invincible..." This was the thought that stayed with me as I weaved through the stalls loaded with books at the Ditan Park Book Fair on a crowded Saturday, where the sheer number of people made it difficult at times to even reach said books.

A sea of readers moved between shelves, leisurely picking through stacks of books and gingerly carrying their prized possessions through the crowds.

What particularly impressed me most was what happened after visitors found their treasure (books) of choice.

Many simply sat down right outside the stalls to read, some settling on the pavements with their newly purchased books, others gathering on the grass with friends and family, eating, talking and reading together.

Children and adults alike could be seen absorbed in their books amid the noise and bustle of the fair.

A sea of readers moves between bookstalls at the Ditan Book Fair 2026, September 19, 2026, Zaruhi Poghosyan /CGTN A sea of readers moves between bookstalls at the Ditan Book Fair 2026, September 19, 2026, Zaruhi Poghosyan /CGTN A sea of readers moves between bookstalls at the Ditan Book Fair 2026, September 19, 2026, Zaruhi Poghosyan /CGTN It was a strikingly contemporary scene, but the impulse behind it has much deeper roots.

China's written tradition long predates Beijing itself, with the National Library of China's collections tracing back to inscriptions on oracle bones and tortoise shells more than 3,000 years ago.

When Beijing emerged as a major capital – beginning with the Yuan Dynasty's (AD 1271–1368) Dadu in the 13th century and continuing through the Ming (AD 1368–1644) and Qing (AD 1644–1912) dynasties – it became an important center of scholarship, literature, official records and book production.

That legacy can still be traced through places such as Liulichang, the historic book and antiques district where generations of readers and collectors sought woodblock editions, classics, calligraphy and inscriptions, as well as the National Library of China whose origins lie in the Jingshi Library established in the late Qing, and the numerous bookstores dotting the city.

"The Temple of Earth and Me – Read to Become a Better You" From September 17 to 27, that long relationship with the written word is taking a contemporary form at yet another major book fair, where hundreds of thousands of titles are bringing readers, publishers and cultural enthusiasts together at the Temple of Earth or Ditan Park, a historic site built in 1530 as an altar for earth worship during the Ming Dynasty.

Now, nearly five centuries after the temple was built, Ditan has once again become a gathering place for readers.