Southwest China's Guizhou province will be the guest of honor at the upcoming Shanghai Book Fair, which will take place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from Aug 15 to 21.

This is the 15th installment of the annual book fair in Shanghai, the largest showcase of books in China.

"Unlike the leading book fairs in Europe and North America, which have all been focusing on copyright trading, we are mainly aimed at promoting reading among the wider public," said Peng Weiguo, deputy director of the municipal administration of press and publications, organizer of the event.

Every year, the fair features a special guest province from China. This is the second time that Guizhou is featured.

"We will showcase 2,000 of the latest published books from Guizhou," said Wang Xiangeng, deputy director of the Guizhou administration of press and publications.

Among the featured are titles that have won national honors and publications that feature the rich and diverse ethnic cultures in the province.

"Some of the ethnic groups don't have a written language, and lots of the culture and heritage are carried on through local handicrafts, in the patterns and images," Wang said.

At the book fair, some of the important handicrafts will be shown, such as traditional silverware, ceramic and paper-making, as well as a special type of embroidery that uses the fur from the tails of ponies.