Skip to main content

Highlights of Taipei International Book Exhibition 2021 announced

  • Date:2020-12-29
Highlights of Taipei International Book Exhibition 2021 announced

Jan. 20 Update: To prioritize public health amidst the global pandemic, the physical Taipei International Book Exhibition originally slated for Jan. 26-31 will be cancelled. Its virtual counterpart, launched on Dec. 29, 2020, will however continue.



The Ministry of Culture and the Taipei Book Fair Foundation (TBFF) will jointly hold the 29th Taipei International Book Exhibition at the Taipei World Trade Center from Jan. 26 to 31, 2021. Highlights related to the theme "Happy Reading," including the 200,000 NT$100 book vouchers issued by the Ministry of Culture, the "Open Night Read Together" event and "Reading Forest Pavilion" as well as South Korea again as the theme country were announced at a press conference on Dec. 29.

Minister without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) and actress Allison Lin (林予晞) are the spokespeople for the exhibition to promote reading. TBFF has adopted effective epidemic prevention measures which may adjust at any given moment in compliance with the policies of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Deputy Director Chu Yu-ying (朱砡瑩) of the Department of Humanities and Publications of the Ministry of Culture expressed hope that TiBE may help Taiwan reach the global community. She added that while TiBE 2020 was moved online due to concerns about COVID-19, the exhibition in 2021 will integrate the physical and virtual events based on that experience.

Minister without Portfolio Tang, in a live streamed message, expressed the anticipation that TiBE 2021 will be held as scheduled, so that the international community will witness how Taiwan upholds people's reading experience through effective epidemic prevention measures.

Lin said that she wishes to see TiBE as the world's forerunning physical book show in 2021 at a time when the pandemic has caused many exhibitions cancelled around the globe.

At the press conference, two promotion films welcoming readers around the island to visit the book fair and enjoy "happy reading" were shown.

To attract participants, "Night of Reading Together," an event curated by Lee Ming-tsung (李明璁) will be held in the evening of Jan. 29. Based on the theme of "healing stories," the event is for book lovers to share heart-warming stories on stage, accompanied by music and artists painting on the spot.

Another curator Ou Yang Ru Xiu (歐陽如修) has organized the "Reading Forest Pavilion" to inspire children to take up the interest of reading and drawing, through book-themed activities.

In a pre-recorded video played at the press conference, Chul-ho Yoon, President of Korean Publishers Association, spoke highly of Taiwan and hoped that peoples of the two countries can exchange views regarding social issues through books.

The South Korea theme pavilion will present a physical-virtual exhibition organized by Seoul International Book Fair "XYZ: Entanglement," which explores generational change, gender, doomsday and other thought-provoking topics.

Ticket-holders for the 2021 exhibition as well as visitors eligible for free entrance to the exhibition will each receive a voucher. People eligible for free entrance include those aged under 18 who have registered for the Winter Vacation Book Fair, foreigners, people with physical disabilities, and visitors holding TRA train tickets for travel to Taipei from eastern Taiwan or anywhere south of Taoyuan.