The Excellent Works Exhibition for Teachers and Students of Design Disciplines in Chinese Universities, namely Milan Design Week, has been included in the National Discipline Competition Ranking for Ordinary Institutions of Higher Education issued by the Ministry of Education for many consecutive years. It is one of the most influential Category A competitions in the field of art and design across China. This year’s event gathered thousands of universities nationwide with hundreds of thousands of entries. Featuring rigorous review standards, the competition boasts high professional recognition and gold content. Centered on the theme of Touching Time · Charming Solar Terms, the competition encouraged participants to explore China’s traditional time system and dig deep into the cultural connotations of solar terms. With an individual solar term or the whole solar term system as the starting point, contestants were required to interpret Chinese people’s perception of time and nature, and transform cultural inspiration into creative cultural and creative works. The competition also advocated exploring stories behind the concept of TIME and breaking the conventional expression of solar term images.

On February 13, the results of the 10th Milan Design Week — Excellent Works Exhibition for Teachers and Students of Design Disciplines in Chinese Universities (24 Solar Terms Cultural Design Competition) were officially released. Guided by teachers from the College of Digital and Intelligent Design, our students achieved outstanding results: instructed by Teacher Gao Fu, one student won the National Second Prize; under the guidance of Teacher Cai Xianyi and Teacher Cai Wenyu, four students claimed the National Third Prize. Relying on solid professional skills and cutting-edge design thinking, teachers and students from the College of Digital and Intelligent Design stood out from fierce competition and made new achievements. The work Four Seasons and Solar Terms by Li Zengpei interprets traditional Chinese farming civilization and was awarded the National Second Prize. Panda Baduanjin of the 24 Solar Terms created by Liao Qingqing integrates traditional culture and innovative design, winning the National Third Prize. Charm of Four Seasons by Huang Chuyao presents oriental artistic conception with innovative visual expression and also claimed the National Third Prize.

Award-winning Works Display

01. Name of Work: Four Seasons and Solar Terms

Name of Student: Li Zengpei

Number of Class: Class 6, Grade 2022, Visual Communication Design

Name of Instructor: Gao Fu

Design Concept: As the wisdom crystallization of traditional Chinese farming civilization, the 24 solar terms carry rich natural rhythms and folk cultures, serving as distinctive cultural symbols. Centering on core cultural elements of the 24 solar terms, this design integrates font design, original posters and derivative cultural and creative products, realizing the organic combination of cultural inheritance and practical application value. 

02. Name of Work: Panda Baduanjin of the 24 Solar Terms

Name of Student: Liao Qing 

Number of Class: Class 7, Grade 2022, Visual Communication Design

Name of Instructor: Cai Xianyi 

Design Concept: This design combines the 24 solar terms with the health-preserving movements of Baduanjin, matching giant pandas with seasonal fruits corresponding to each solar term. Each solar term is paired with a set of Baduanjin exercises. By integrating traditional culture into a calendar format, the work popularizes health and solar term knowledge, and lowers the threshold for cultural appreciation through soothing and healing visuals.

03. Name of Work: Charm of Four Seasons

Name of Student: Huang Chuyao 

Number of Class: Class 8, Grade 2022, Visual Communication Design

Name of Instructor: Cai Xianyi 

Design Concept: The poster series extracts natural textures and daily delights embodied by the 24 solar terms. Adopting a minimalist visual language, it uses soft and translucent colors to echo the transition of four seasons, and outlines iconic solar term elements with simple lines. Boasting a unified and harmonious style, the works inherit the profound culture of traditional solar terms while embracing modern aesthetics. Each poster serves as a visual carrier that captures the beauty of seasons and conveys the poetry of life, presenting the rhythmic harmony between humanity and nature.

04. Name of Work: Ancient Elegance Reborn · Charm of Solar Terms

Name of Student: Yang Luwei

Number of Class: Class 1, Grade 2024, Visual Communication Design

Name of Instructor: Cai Wenyu 

Design Concept: Centered on the theme of solar terms, this design transforms the 24 solar terms into visual wall calendars. Built on a modern grid layout, it blends traditional charm with contemporary aesthetics. The main visual area features illustrations depicting phenological scenes and farming activities of each solar term, supplemented by calligraphy inscriptions of solar term names and dates. The color palette draws from classic Chinese hues, shifting gradually from fresh green in spring to golden tones in autumn. Practical and culturally enriching, the design records the passage of time and awakens people’s poetic perception of natural rhythms.

05. Name of Work: Folk Customs and the 24 Solar Terms

Name of Student: Li Liu

Number of Class: Class 1, Grade 2024, Visual Communication Design

Name of Instructor: Cai Wenyu 

Design Concept: This poster series interprets the life wisdom and folk delights of the 24 solar terms through traditional Chinese paper-cut art. Dominated by classic Chinese red, the design adopts hollow-out, splicing and other typical paper-cut techniques. It focuses on representative solar term customs, such as spring cow worship at the Spring Equinox, seedling transplanting in Grain in Ear, and lotus fans in Major Heat. With full, symmetrical compositions and auspicious patterns, the paper-cut works retain local cultural memories and endow traditional folk culture with brand-new vitality.

In recent years, the College of Digital and Intelligent Design has adhered to the philosophy of promoting teaching, learning and innovation through competitions. It closely integrates discipline competitions with talent cultivation, enabling teachers and students to continuously achieve excellent results in contests at all levels.

These awards are not only a testament to the dedication and pursuit of excellence of teachers and students, but also a vivid reflection of the college’s in-depth teaching reform and strengthened practical education.

Taking this achievement as an opportunity, the university will further advance the high-quality development of art and design disciplines, cultivate more outstanding design talents with humanistic literacy, innovative capabilities and global vision, and make greater contributions to the development of local cultural and creative industries as well as regional aesthetic education.