LISBON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The 88th Lisbon Book Fair, which lasted for 20 days, came to a close on Wednesday after seeing the participation of 626 publishers and booksellers with a total of 294 booths.

The tallies of publishers, booksellers and booths all exceeded those in 2017, according to organizers.

Anna, a high school teacher aged 37, said that she had visited the book fair three times since its opening and has purchased her favorable books each time. The books on natural science with discount were the most attractive to her, she added.

Children's books were an indispensable part of the book fair held at the Edward VII Park in downtown Lisbon. Children could be seen from time to time among the bustling crowd.

"The aim to bring young children here is to cultivate their interests in books," said a 42-year-old visitor named Nuno.

As one of the largest book fairs in Portugal, the organizers hope that more people could enjoy reading. They are optimistic about the sale volume despite the rainy weather.

Nearly 400,000 books worth about 4 million euros (4.72 U.S. dollars) were sold at last year's fair.