On June 10, the Huilin Prize 2026 Award Ceremony was held at Beijing Normal University (BNU). The event was jointly organized by the Huilin Foundation and BNU's Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture (AICCC). This year's honorees were Lisa Lu, the renowned Chinese American performing artist and the first Chinese lifetime voting member of the Academy Awards, and Zhang Xiping, a distinguished scholar of the history of cultural exchanges between China and the West, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, and a distinguished professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. More than 70 experts and scholars from the cultural andartistic communities gathered to celebrate the achievements of the award recipients and witness the announcement of this year's honors. Yu Dan, Dean of the Beijing institute of Cultural Innovation and Communication at BNU, hosted the event.

Kang Zhen, Vice President of BNU, attended the ceremony and delivered remarks. He warmly welcomed the guests and congratulated the two laureates. Kang Zhen pointed that BNU would continue to invest in cultural development and international communication, support the "Huilin Prize", and work with partners across society to communicate China’s stories effectively, advance China’s development as a culturally strong nation, and contribute to the progress of human civilization.

Xiang Yunju, Executive Dean of AICCC and a member of the final jury, delivered remarks. He explained that the tenth "Huilin Prize" opened for nominations in October 2025 and proceeded in strict accordance with the award’s regulations. The Award Office received 56 nominations: 26 Chinese candidates and 30 international candidates. The latter represented more than ten countries, including the United States, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and India, reflecting the prize’s broad international reach and influence. Following nomination, preliminary screening, and final review, the seven-member final jury selected Lisa Lu and Zhang Xiping as the 2026 honorees after careful and impartial deliberation.

Deng Guanghui, Vice President of the China Film Association, read the award citation for Lisa Lu. Zhang Pimin, Chairman of the China Film Foundation and former Deputy Director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, presented the award to Lisa Lu.

In her acceptance remarks, Lisa Lu reflected on a life shaped by art and Chinese culture. She said that art and culture endure by being passed from one generation to the next. For as long as her health allows, she will continue to do what she can to showcase the vitality of Chinese art and contribute to cultural exchange between China and the world.

Ding Yaping, Professor at the Chinese National Academy of Arts and President of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, read the award citation for Zhang Xiping. David W. Ferguson, Honorary English Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Languages Press, presented the award to Zhang Xiping.

In his acceptance remarks, Zhang Xiping reviewed his journey since the 1990s in engaging with the history of Sino-Western cultural exchange and overseas Sinology research. Zhang Xiping said the award would inspire him to continue his research and bring the distinctive value of Chinese civilization and the strengths of Chinese scholarship to wider international attention.

Huang Huilin, Emeritus Professor at BNU, Dean of AICCC, and founder of the Huilin Foundation, delivered the concluding remarks. She reviewed the laureates from previous editions, thanked the nominators and the AICCC team, and congratulated this year’s honorees.

Since its establishment in 2010, AICCC has developed and put into practice the theory of “Third Pole Culture” while working to give Chinese culture a stronger voice and a wider global reach. Huang Huilin said that sharing culture across borders is a long-term undertaking that demands patience and sustained effort. The Huilin Prize honors pioneers who have dedicated themselves to dialogue among civilizations, and she called on all sectors of society to continue supporting this work. As it enters its second decade, the prize will remain true to its founding purpose, unite a broader community of supporters, and further the international reach of Chinese culture, with the aim of making an even greater contribution to dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations.