Nearly 2,000 people attended the opening ceremony of a hall dedicated to Chinese culture Tuesday evening at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest book and copyright trading platform.

This year's event, which closed Sunday, featured China as the guest of honor. Headlined "Tradition and Innovation," a total of 612 wide-ranging programs presented Chinese culture and literature to the world.

Liu Binjie, minister of China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, signed an agreement in Beijing on May 31, 2007 to make the event happen.

The Chinese-themed hall presented an overall view of Chinese literature in four sections: The coming into being of written characters; the invention of paper as a writing medium; the invention of print; and contemporary publications.

Featuring images of the earliest prints and a drop of ink at the center of the hall, the exhibition also illustrated for visitors the Chinese sense of art and beauty.

Liu, making a speech at the ceremony, said the exhibition was aimed at presenting 5,000 years of Chinese culture, as well as the innovative spirit of contemporary China.

"Books are the perpetual memory of human beings, the carriers of civilization, a shortcut to progress and a bridge between various nations and cultures," he said.

The official said China felt honored to have been given this chance to showcase its history and culture.

More than 150 Chinese authors and scholars, 300 artists and 700 publishing representatives attended the fair, demonstrating their works and seeking book and copyright trading opportunities.

Mo Yan, a renowned Chinese author, said previous guest of honor nations had sent far smaller delegations. "Chinese authors are earnestly looking outside China and trying to learn from authors of other nations. Many also went to pay tribute to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by visiting his former residence."

Tie Ning, president of the Chinese Writers' Association, said the Frankfurt fair offered a platform for authors from around the world. "We need this bridge to link us, especially in this era of the Internet, when people's attention is broken into brief intervals and reading books is no longer a habit for many," she said.

Every year since 1988, the Frankfurt Book Fair has also organized an international book exhibition in which publishing companies from around the world present their titles relating to the guest of honor. As part of the guest of honor's presentation this year, the fair offered publishing companies the opportunity to display their current translations from Chinese literature, as well as titles on Chinese culture, history and life today, at a sub-exhibition.

The six-day fair attracted 7,300 exhibitors from more than 100 nations and regions, drawing some 300,000 visitors.

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