On the 3^rd of December, the second “(2016) Conference on Oriental Renaissance” was held at RUC jointly hosted by the RUC School of Arts and the Oriental Renaissance Research Institute, undertaken by the Buddhist Art Research Institute and the Centre for Cultural Innovation and Communication, and sponsored by the Beijing Fuhui Public Welfare Endowment. RUC President LIU Wei and CPPCC Standing Committee member GONG Xinhan were present at the opening ceremony to deliver an address. Many other leaders and academics from around the country were in attendance, including many guests from overseas such as the USA, Austria, France, Italy, and Japan, who gathered to discuss the conference topic “Developing and Implementing a “Belt and Road” Cultural Think-tank,” and to discuss the development of a “belt and road” museum. This conference was influenced by some important remarks made by President XI Jinping at the 10^th meeting of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the 9^th meeting of the China Writer’s Association. President XI emphasised the need to “raise high the torch of national spirit, sound the bugle of epochal advancement, reach new artistic heights for the era of Chinese cultural renaissance,” proposing new ideas and content for this conference’s theme of “cultural renaissance.” This conference focused on developing a “belt and road” think-tank, protecting, restoring and transforming the Buddhist artistic legacy, and developing a new-style of “intelligent” museum as the theme, so as to promote the idea of realising and developing related branches of learning for an oriental cultural renaissance. During President LIU’s oration he pointed out the centrality of studies in the arts as part of the humanities and social sciences, and that RUC’s arts education has a long history, having made many noteworthy contributions with regards talent development, academic research and international exchange, with a widely felt influence in the areas of music, fine arts and calligraphy. He continued noting that holding this Conference on Oriental renaissance was an academic contribution to the ‘belt and road’ initiative, and has been influenced by the remarks made by President XI at the 10^th meeting of the China Federation of Literary and Arts Circles and the 9^th meeting of the China Writer’s Association, in an effort to promote the value of Eastern aesthetics, which is the academic wish and historic responsibility of RUC in promoting the Eastern renaissance. The proposition of developing a ‘belt and road’ cultural think-tank put forward by the School of Arts is an idea of much potential and forward thinking. He concluded by confirming that the Conference on Oriental Renaissance has now become an important platform for scholars from around China and the globe to announce to the world the renaissance of Eastern civilisation. Committee Member GONG then gave a speech in which he noted that as China was rapidly developing its economy, it was also of great importance to increase cultural awareness, strengthen cultural pride, and achieve cultural self-cultivation. Hence, the concept promoted by RUC’s School of Arts, ‘Eastern Renaissance’ meets the needs of today’s society, grabbing hold of the trend of cultural development, embodying acute thinking, and showcasing the perspicacity of academic research. Next, Dean of the School of Arts DING Fang took to the podium, thanking the sponsors for their contributions to the conference, stating that this conference would help provide the intellectual support necessary for meeting the challenge of developing a ‘belt and road’ cultural think-tank and research towards national cultural strategy and policy. He finished his speech by stating that this conference not only features academic lectures, but also has high-level artistic exhibitions, promoting a synthesis of the theoretical and the practical. During the opening ceremony, the official plaque of the Oriental Renaissance Research Institute was unveiled, at the same time stirring the imaginations of China's young artists. This conference took many forms, with much scintillating material, and was an interdisciplinary dialogue covering a wide field from technique to content, from tracing history to future prospects, that brought together and expanded the scope of academic inquiry, stimulating much debate and discussion. This conference was followed closely by the media. The conference also held some deep inquiry into such topics as “the modern revival of Buddhist art,” “research into portrait museums and cultural production of ancient castles,” “the world’s Buddhist museums,” and many others.