The 2009 Guangzhou Book Fair took place at Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Centre from August 20 to 24. The fair attracted more than 420,000 visitors and generated sales of 10 million yuan (HK$11.4 million). The exhibition centre has two levels, each with an area of 17,000 square metres. The centre was divided into 16 sections, including Guangdong publishing, children's books, private publishing, original animation, an ancient books exhibition and the book exchange area. There were 160,000 book titles available at the fair. Most were sold at discounts ranging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent. People could pay as little as three yuan for second-hand books, five yuan for children's books and 10 yuan for magazines. Some booksellers even gave magazines away to visitors for promotion purposes. The several hundred trolleys provided by the host to carry items that visitors bought were not enough. All the trolleys were taken within 30 minutes of the opening. To avoid carrying their books around, some visitors brought their own trolleys. Lin Juhua said she had not purchased many books the previous year because she did not have her own trolley. 'This year I brought one with me and it is so much more convenient.' Investment titles were among the best sellers. A lot of visitors flocked to such sections and many of them were elderly people. Ancient books which appeal to collectors were also popular. Some were printed in the Ming or Qing dynasty or earlier, such as the original Twenty-four Histories series. Some of the books cost more than 10,000 yuan each. One anonymous buyer paid 110.000 yuan for 10 ancient books on August 21. Another popular spot in the fair was the book exchange area where visitors traded books with others. Many people felt improvements were needed, according to questionnaires filled in during the fair. They were unhappy there was no dining hall or rest areas. They also felt there were not enough staff to guide visitors, many of whom got lost in the huge exhibition centre. Some believed green shopping bags should have been provided free to consumers who bought a lot of books.