An ongoing special exhibition of iconic arts and designs created by artists of the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University (AADTHU) showcases the global cultural impact of Chinese art through the generations.

The exhibition, held to mark Tsinghua University's 110th anniversary, demonstrates the marvelous development and dazzling achievements of the AADTHU as it participated in artwork and design creations for a wide range of significant events that shaped Chinese aesthetics and China's global cultural image since 1956. 

The AADTHU, formerly known as the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts, created many of China's most iconic designs. It designed China's national emblem, the emblem of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, and the emblem for the Macao Special Administrative Region. Its artists also created the iconic portrait of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that hung on Tiananmen Gate Tower from 1963 to 1967; the fifth generation of RMB coins; the interior design for the Great Hall of the People; many national medals, artworks and floats placed and showcased on Beijing's Tiananmen Square for grand national celebrations; and even suits for pilots of the Chinese Air Force.

The AADTHU also created many unforgettable artistic designs for global audiences, such as Fuwa mascots, the Beijing Olympic emblem, awards-winning podiums and many more designs for the Beijing 2008 Olympics; the China Pavilion of the Expo Milano 2015; and the main flame torch tower for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. 

Their designs are ubiquitous across China. They include early Hongqi sedans; the murals at the Beijing Capital International Airport; the exterior and interior designs of various museums; Beijing buses and taxis; iconic logos for various Chinese government departments, national banks, telecom giants, social organizations, and museums; as well as national souvenir stamps, notable porcelains, special watches for researchers in Antarctic expeditions; interior designs for China's bullet trains and planes; a conceptual design of the Flydream magnetic suspension train; and even the latest COVID-19 nucleic acid testing products. 

A variety of photos, manuscripts, concept art, artworks, miniatures and prototypes are currently being displayed in the halls of the AADTHU headquarters. People will be familiar with many of the exhibits. A photo wall also shows that the AADTHU has been actively engaged in worldwide exchanges and the global promotion of Chinese culture by holding a number of international exhibitions and forums. In terms of education, the academy has been strengthening the integration of arts and science, cultivating top talents, and leading the building of academic subjects and studies. 

In addition, the exhibition shows how the AADTHU has launched campaigns and art designs for poverty alleviation, worked to protect intangible cultural heritages and train heritage inheritors and promoters, in the hope of bringing new life to intangible cultural heritages. 

The AADTHU special exhibition is being held from April 19 to June 3, 2021.