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The Chevalier Medal for Oriental Art (Chevalier Des Arts Orientaux) was initiated by the Belgian Senate and various circles of society, in order to commemorate Father Ferdinand Verbiest, a Belgian scientist, philosopher, astronomer who lived in China 300 years before. The aim was to promote cooperation between the East and West, and to award those skillful but humble people who made outstanding contributions in multiple areas such as science and art. The Chevalier Medal for Oriental Art, established in 1953, was suspended due to the East-West stagnation of the Cold War.
In 2010, many Belgian senators and members of Parliament proposed to give the authorization to the Europe-China Cultural and Educational Foundation which was registered in Antwerp to manage the award.
The candidates shall be nominated by governments, organizations, and art institutes; the winner will be evaluated and decided by more than three Belgian senators or members of Parliament. No commercial institution is allowed in the process of nomination and evaluation. The award ceremony is usually held in a traditional European style, while the place of awarding is not fixed.
This award has become widely respected in several different European countries due to its pragmatic and low-key approach. Before that, the award has only ever been given to Chinese artists and dignitaries.