On February 23, 2026, the then Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, which was dedicated to studying the development of the China Academy of Art. The meeting outlined a blueprint for the academy: ‘accelerating its growth into a world-class fine arts institution that embodies the highest level of Chinese cultural and artistic research and education’.Over the past two decades, with gratitude and unyielding dedication, talents have been nurtured under the Du Ying tree.

Over the past two decades, the China Academy of Art has always cherished and acted upon the earnest entrustment from President Xi, deeply studied and implemented cultural thoughts of President Xi Jinping. With the strong support from successive Zhejiang Provincial Party Committees and Governments, it has adhered to the principle of carrying through the blueprint drawn up by previous leaderships and maintaining continuity in policies. As a result, it has steadily ranked first among art institutions nationwide, achieving great-leap-forward development. Over the past two decades, with CAA’s gratitude and unyielding dedication, talents have been nurtured under the Du Ying tree.

On February 23, 2026, “the Vision of the University: Special Exhibition Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the CAA's Quest for World-Class Excellence" opened at the Art Museum of the China Academy of Art. Structured around a curatorial framework of six core principles—"People's Heart, Philosopher-Craftsman Spirit, Integration of Art and Science, Campus Without Walls, Harmony in Diversity, and Bridging China and the World"—the exhibition presents 20 development cases. It panoramically showcases the Academy's journey of translating earnest entrustments into educational practice over the past two decades.

"Vision of the University" is a vision of national rejuvenation, a vision of cultural continuity, and a vision of the human’s pursuit of beauty. The 20 cases in the exhibition, interwoven and deeply expanded, encapsulate the fruitful achievements of the China Academy of Art's educational governance in the new era.

Lü Zushan, former Governor of Zhejiang Province; Liang Pingbo, former Deputy Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC; Li Yanyi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC and Head of its Publicity Department; Sheng Changli, former Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province; Yang Wei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former Director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and former President of Zhejiang University; Wu Jing, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress; Cheng Yuechong, Member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice Chairperson of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPPCC; Gao Shiming, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and former President of the China Academy of Art; Lai Yingjie, Executive Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC; Chen Chunlei, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Director of the Department of Education of Zhejiang Province; Huang Haifeng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC and Head of its Publicity Department; Chen Zhenlian, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Vice Director-General and Secretary-General of the Xiling Seal Society, together with former and current leaders of the China Academy of Art, including Xu Jiang, Mao Xuefei, Qian Xiaofang, Jin Yibin, Shen Hao, and Yu Xuhong, jointly inaugurated the special exhibition "University Vision: The 20th Anniversary of the China Academy of Art's Quest for World-Class Excellence."

On the first floor, the central hall features the sections "Depicting the Heart of Heaven and Earth," "Cultivating the Mind with Profundity," and "The Hand of the Artisan." Through brush and ink, these sections manifest the literary heart of heaven and earth, carry forward the "lost arts" of calligraphy, and embody the Eastern philosophy of the heart-hand correspondence and the mutual cultivation of skill and the Way. They represent a concerted artistic endeavor to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.

On the second floor, the hall presents the sections "Centennial Pursuit of the Dream," "Sculpting the East," "Weaving the Four Corners," and "Visual Communication." These showcase the Academy's proactive contributions to major national thematic creations and key cultural construction tasks over the years. They embody the CAA's contribution to "sculpting the soul of the nation and portraying the era" within the grand framework of civilizational progress and global dialogue.

On the second floor, the rotunda encompasses practices such as "Indigenous Architecture," "Cultural and Creative Intelligent Manufacturing," "Eastern Fashion," "Innovation Links," "Art Education in a New Era," and "Beautiful China." It comprehensively presents the Academy's exploratory practices and innovative achievements in leveraging the cluster advantages of its design disciplines. Under the theme of "The Power of Design," it highlights contributions to serving national strategies, deepening the integration of art and science, promoting industrial innovation, and facilitating urban and rural development.

On the third floor, the exhibition space showcases cases such as "Artistic Intelligence," "Visual Studies of Chinese Classical Learning," and "Broad Foundation." These focus on the themes of "Attending to Visual China, Promoting Core Values, and Forging a National Image." Against the backdrop of strengthening cultural confidence and fostering mutual learning among civilizations, the Academy works to construct an independent discourse system for Chinese art history. By grounding itself in tradition while bridging Eastern and Western influences, it consolidates the foundation for cultivating artistic talent, continuously seeking to develop a Chinese model for art education from a global perspective.

On the basement level, the exhibition space revolves around "Poetic Cinema," "Interactive Entertainment in Animation and Gaming," "Seeking Creative Inspiration within Media," and "Forging Courses through Refinement." It drives innovation and breakthroughs in teaching methods by focusing on the most fundamental curriculum issues in education. The aim is to unearth creativity from media and manifest humanity through technology, delving deeply into the "ludic spirit," while constructing authorial consciousness and poetic aesthetics in cinema. This embodies the Academy's expansive vision and educational ideals.

Over the past two decades, the China Academy of Art has transformed the President Xi's earnest entrustment into educational practices passed down like a torch from generation to generation, composing a magnificent chapter in which an art academy marches in lockstep with the nation and its people. The exhibition "Vision of the University," spanning time and space, is both a profound retrospective of the past twenty years and a solemn embarkation on a new journey toward becoming a world-class university.

The exhibition runs until May 23, during which admission is free to the public.