By 2009, the green dog was no longer limited to just Heigen, like the early days. In fact, it didn't even matter anymore whether or not it was Zhou Chunya's dog. It had become a schema of art history, the artist's calling card, and a mark of unlimited possibilities for future artistic creations. It had reached the point that any artistic creations involving dogs would raise associations with Zhou Chunya's Heigen and Green Dog. This exclusivity is testament to the heights that the artist reached with this series. These artworks no longer needed titles or footnotes; a simple form and some color were enough to express all of the content.

In recent years, the dog in the picture is no longer an independent existence. Now, there is more background, which is to say that the artist was increasingly leaning towards using the green dog's existence to express his views on life, society and art. The green dog, which had originally existed independent of artistic language, took on the form and identity of a spokesperson.

In late 2010, Zhou Chunya, along with Feng Xiaogang, Meng Jinghui and He Xuntian, won the National Spirit Achievers Award in Shanghai. On February 21, 2010, Zhou Chunya again won Artist of the Year at the 2010 Art Power Awards. The previous year, that award was won by Zhang Xiaogang.

The event organizers explained their reasoning behind the decision: "the Zhou Chunya 40 Year Retrospective Exhibition held at the Shanghai Museum of Art last year was that year's best Chinese solo exhibition. Secondly, Zhou Chunya has dedicated himself to philanthropy since the Sichuan earthquake. The Five Colors Foundation, a charitable foundation he founded for the handicapped of Chengdu, has in a mere two year's time helped nearly one hundred children crippled by the earthquake to realize their dreams through art."

In an interview, Zhou told a reporter: "This is my first time winning an award at the Art Power Awards. I remember that Zhang Xiaogang won last year, and I never imagined that I would win it myself. I'm quite surprised and elated." According to Zhou, each year 100 art figures and collectors are nominated for the list. The previous year, he had ranked 20th, and this year, he ranked 6th. As he sees it, "This year's slogan is 'moving up'. I guess they decided that I was 'moving up' the most."

The Chinese like the color red, as well as the color green. Green represents hope and upward momentum. Mr. Zhou, an Aries, is full of vitality, and has a zeal for helping others. His tireless efforts to lead the next generation are there for all to see. Upon winning the award, Zhou didn't rush right back to Chengdu; he still had to attend Ji Lei's solo exhibition in Beijing, showing support for this cutting-edge artist from Blue Roof in Chengdu. He also had to make arrangements for an exhibition at the Today Art Museum. This exhibition was the result of two years of effort: an exhibition of artworks by the children of his Five Colors Foundation.

Zhou says, "This is a group exhibition for our Five Colors kids. The location has been set for the Today Art Museum, but we haven't set the time. To date, the Five Colors Foundation has helped roughly one hundred handicapped children, including victims of the Sichuan earthquake. Over the past two years, we have organized artists and art teachers to teach these children how to paint. Many of the children have successfully tested into art colleges. This exhibition is the sum of their two years learning painting. Artworks by every single child will be featured in this exhibition. This is the first time for such a large exhibition of artworks by handicapped children to be held in China." For an artist with such passion for life, joy in giving and devotion to art, the future holds only limitless possibilities.