Ten influential Chinese are honored at an event for Chinese Culture Figures of 2015. They include comedian Chen Peisi.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The chief's survey led to the boosting of the museum's collection from 1 million to 1.8 million objects.

To offer the public more access to ancient artifacts, Shan initiated the digitization of museum treasures by using tools such as virtual reality to show the world some of the unopened rooms in the Forbidden City. Apps on some of the more prestigious artifacts were also released.

If the awards to Shan and Zhou were a triumph for high-end culture, comedian Chen Peisi, who drew the most interest at the ceremony, reflected public enthusiasm for mass culture.

Chen, who shot to fame in the 1979 hit comedy What a Family, co-starred with his father in a series of comedy blockbusters, which led to a boom in urban-themed comedy features.

His switch to theater in 2001 led to the creation of nine popular comedic stage plays, which have been staged around 1,300 times drawing more than 1 million viewers from 50 cities.

Speaking of his years focused on comedy, the 61-year-old artist says: "A common phenomenon for the genre is that most of the productions, including those popular in foreign markets, are shallow.

"My comedies may not cater to the youngsters, but I believe market revenue is not the only standard to judge a quality title."

Peking Opera artist Wang Peiyu, a representative of the Yu School, also made waves at the event. The school, formed in the 1920s, has had a dominant influence in the performance of laosheng (male role).

While Wang, 37, may insist on tradition when promoting the 200-year-old opera genre, she is not shy about using online tools like WeChat to promote the tradition. She even uses a guitar to accompany Peking Opera singers.