Book lovers flocked to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Wednesday in a bustling opening day for the annual Hong Kong Book Fair.

This year's event, themed "Food Culture, Future Living," uses cuisine as a cultural bridge. Through curated culinary literature, the fair invites visitors to explore the world and savour diverse experiences right from the dining table.

A major draw is the "World of Art and Culture" zone, featuring the interactive exhibition "Book a Table, Food for Thought."

Visitors whom RTHK spoke to expressed excitement about its eight distinct tables, showcasing global works on food, healthy living and culture.

"There is a lot of people from around the world [here], and then you can get [an] approach to the cultures there. If I want to go to Turkey for travel, then I can get to know more about there," said a woman, Ngai.

"There are a lot of dining tables here and then you can know more about [cultures]. It is a bright idea, like a new idea here, in the book fair."

The scale of the fair impressed first-time visitor Mylnikova, director of a library in the United States.

"My library is located on a nature reserve and we have a collection of tropical and exotic trees with fruits, so I'm interested in books [and] world studies on tropical trees with fruits," she said, hoping to find valuable additions for her institution.

"I'm [also] looking for artists' books, self-published by artists."

Local interests were also prominent, with a woman, Lee, hoping to purchase dessert cookbooks alongside Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education reference materials for her children.

Booksellers that RTHK spoke to expressed optimism about sales.

A woman, Cheung, from Joint Publishing, highlighted the company's focus on Hong Kong-related works and new titles commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

"I think people will likely be interested in that area," she said, adding that she hopes sales, contingent on visitor turnout, would exceed last year's.

Eli Lau, from Sup retail, echoed this positive outlook, saying she expects steady sales and a weekend boost.

"We remain optimistic this year: you can already see many customers arriving early," she added.

The 35th Hong Kong Book Fair will run until Tuesday, July 22.