The predecessor of China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAA) is the National Art Academy. In 1928, Mr. Cai Yuanpei, who was serving as the President of the University at that time, chose a location by the West Lake in Hangzhou to establish the first comprehensive national institution of higher art education—the National Art Academy, thereby unveiling a new chapter in China's higher fine arts education. As the first national higher arts institution with the most complete disciplines and the largest scale, China Central Academy of Fine Arts has undergone several relocations and name changes in its more than 90 years of history. It has been known as the National Art Academy, the National Hangzhou Art School, the National Art School, the East China Branch of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts, before finally becoming the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Throughout this journey, two clear academic threads have always been intertwined: one is the "integration of Chinese and Western art" represented by the first president Lin Fengmian, and the other is the "innovation within tradition" represented by Pan Tianshou. They used academia as a public tool, encouraged and inspired each other, and pursued parallel paths without conflict, creating a relaxed environment conducive to bold artistic innovation and the healthy development of humanities. This has become the most important tradition and characteristic of the academy. As a research and teaching university, China Central Academy of Fine Arts has always stood at the forefront of contemporary art, embracing a strong sense of historical mission and responsibility to revitalize national art. Adhering to the school motto of "Vigorously advancing, Respectfully dwelling, Comprehensively connecting, Far-reachingly fulfilling," the academy advocates the academic idea of "pluralistic interaction while maintaining differences" and fosters a talent-cultivating environment where "students excel in character and learning, understand the principles of art, and have a thorough knowledge of both ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign cultures." Focusing on the two core tasks of "establishing world-class fine arts disciplines characterized by Oriental studies and creating a new humanistic education system centered on artistic creation and social aesthetic education," the academy has renovated its campus, transmitted its ideals, expanded its disciplines, reorganized its departments, and formed a structure of "five disciplines and more than ten schools." It has established a practical teaching system based on the principles of "learning through practice and nurturing the mind through reading" and "serving the people with a shared aesthetic appreciation," promoting the spirit of craftsmanship and building a visionary university to cultivate talents of both moral and artistic virtues who excel in character and learning, understand the principles of art, and have a thorough knowledge of both ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign cultures.