Cai Guoqiang received the prize during the award ceremony on July 30.

Cai Guoqiang, a contemporary Chinese artist best known for his design of the 2008 Olympic Games’ fireworks display, has won the 2009 Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in the art and culture category. The news was announced yesterday with the official award ceremony scheduled to take place in Fukuoka on September 17.

The Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes were established to honor outstanding works by individuals or organizations in preserving or creating Asian culture from 1990 onward.

Previous Chinese award winners include writer Ba Jin (The Torrents Trilogy), archeologist Wang Zhongshu and director Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern).

Editor: Hu Zhicheng