In September 2008, his latest work, Symbols of China, a series of cultural books compiled by him, made their debut at the 15th Beijing International Book Fair and drew wide public attention.

In October 2008, the 65-year-old Feng was invited to be a counselor for the State Council of China for a term of five years, which will be a direct channel for him to report on the reality of the cultural heritage of the nation to the Central Government.

Wang Meng

Born in 1934, Wang Meng is one of the most prolific writers in the contemporary literary world of China. His works, many of which have been published in foreign languages, mainly reflect the frustrations and problems that the Chinese people have encountered during social changes.

Besides his literary work, Wang has also taken on a lot of social posts, including minister of culture. Although he completely retired from all posts in 2008, Wang became even busier than before. In 2008, he published seven books (including two novels), gave 20 lectures in places all across the country and also participated in various activities on cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

People are impressed with his passion of paying close attention to social realities. After the Wenchuan earthquake and during the Beijing Olympic Games, he wrote a stream of passionate articles for local media.

Zhang Yimou

As one of the outstanding representatives of China's fifth-generation film directors, Zhang Yimou, born in 1951, enjoys high reputation domestically and in the world film arena. Many of his movies, such as Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and Curse of the Golden Flower, have left deep impressions on audiences. At the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Zhang, serving as the chief director, and his team presented Chinese culture and civilization to the world by perfectly merging the most representative Chinese cultural symbols with mass performances.

On November 7, 2008, Zhang was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Boston University in the United States, in recognition of his efforts to popularize Chinese culture. This makes him the first filmmaker in China to win this honor.

Zhang Haidi

Zhang Haidi became known throughout the country in the early 1980s for her strong willpower and optimistic attitude toward life after becoming disabled. When she was 5 years old, a disease left her paralyzed from the chest down. However, despite her disability, she began writing at the age of 28. Her works have aroused big reactions among young Chinese, and some of her books have been published in foreign countries, such as Japan and South Korea. As a spiritual icon, Zhang was the role model for Chinese youth at that time for her strong will and perseverance in the face of many setbacks. After fading from public attention for more than 20 years, the 53-year-old Zhang appeared in front of the public again when she was elected the fifth chairperson of the China Disabled Persons' Federation on November 13, 2008. Today, Zhang continues to inspire many Chinese with her powerful spirit.