As a pioneer bridge builder between China and the world, 81-year-old Huang Huilin has initiated many well-known cultural events such as the annual Beijing College Student Film Festival, while also nurturing a number of today's cultural celebrities such as Yu Dan.

To commemorate Huang's contributions, the first Huilin Culture Prize ceremony was held at Beijing Normal University on Saturday. Famous Swedish Sinologist Torbjörn Lodén and Chinese artist Han Meilin were announced as the recipients of this year's award.

Co-organized by the Huilin Cultural Fund and the Academy of International Communication of Chinese Culture, the 2015 Huilin Culture Prize is meant to honor those who have contributed greatly to the communication of Chinese culture overseas.

Considered one of the most representative sinologists in Europe, Torbjörn Lodén has greatly contributed to translating the Chinese classic work, the Four Books, which include The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius and Mencius, into Swedish.

Torbjörn Lodén was also recognized for his contributions to the study of Chinese philosophers such as Dai Zhen (1724-77).

The other winner, Han Meilin, is widely recognized as a versatile master of art in many areas including painting, calligraphy, design, sculpture and traditional paper-cutting. He is also the chief designer behind the five mascots that appeared during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.