When the China Academy of Art was founded in 1928 near West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province by Cai Yuanpei, the scholar and educator explained in his speech the importance of art education. He said the academy should fill minds and hearts otherwise occupied by superstitious ideas, with the beauty of art, to help people live fulfilling lives through the pursuit of beauty.

Now, with three campuses in Hangzhou, the academy has turned their 97th anniversary into an occasion to announce developments and plans for art education at the academy, and among the public.

The celebration is being marked by a full program, including the inauguration of the Zao Wou-ki Research Center, which is based on a nucleus of work and documents donated by the artist's family. A graduate of the academy, Zao rose to international prominence for his semi-abstract oils that blended Western and Chinese aesthetics.