The 27th International Book Fair 2018 began at Havana’s La Cabaña Fortress to the rhythm of traditional Chinese drums.

Presided over by Cuba’s First Vice-President, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuban Parliament President, Esteban Lazo, and Chinese dignitaries, the opening ceremony included the screening of a video about the work of Havana Historian, Eusebio Leal, to whom the book fiesta is dedicated, highlighting his human values, painstaking work to restore Old Havana and history as an intellectual. This year’s Book Fair is dedicated to the People’s Republic of China, reason for which a gala tilted Happy 2018 Chinese Spring Party is set to be held at Havana’s Grand Theater Alicia Alonso, showcasing the Asian Giant’s traditional music, dance, acrobatics and other art forms. Chinese movie screenings, books launches and sales, photo and art exhibits are part of the event’s agenda.

With an extensive cultural and literary program, China is celebrating at Havana’s Book Fair, including its pavilion at the event’s main venue – the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress- as well as in other venues in the Cuban capital. At the fair China is exhibiting and selling more than seven thousand Chinese volumes, dealing with issues, such as politics, economics, culture, society, science, literature and arts.  Chinese-Cuban cooperative translations and publications, prints of the old and contemporary China and the exhibition of traditional comics also make up the Asian country’s offer at the fair.  

The Infanta Movies Theater and the Confucius Institute of the University of Havana are screening a contemporary film festival from the Asian country. Also the Chinese Pavilion is signing a cooperation, co-editing and publishing agreement between China and Cuba and the presentation of the Chinese classics library in Spanish.  A donation of books by the East China University Publishing House is also set to be made to the Latin American Center of the Havana University Confucius Institute. Prestigious Chinese writers are already in Havana, including Liu Liu Zhenyun.