CIAC 2026 Enters Judging with a Record 650 Entries

02 October 2026

The 2026 Great Wall Cup International Aquascaping Contest (CIAC) has completed its submission phase and moved into judging, receiving 650 entries from 29 countries and regions.

CIAC 2026 Enters Judging with a Record 650 Entries

Organizers describe the total as a new record for the event, highlighting the international interest in aquarium design and aquatic life. The announcement also introduces a new “Most Beautiful Native Fish” competition, expanding the event's focus on native species and ecological awareness.

A global showcase of aquatic creativity

The completion of submissions marks the next step in this year's competition. A professional judging panel will assess the entries, with organizers emphasizing a fair and rigorous evaluation process.

The announced figure refers to 650 submitted entries across the event. It is not a confirmed count of individual participants or of entries in the planted aquascaping category alone; the announcement does not provide a category-by-category breakdown.

For hobbyists following CIAC, attention now turns to the creators, ideas and aquatic displays that will emerge when the results are released.

New competition celebrates China's native fish

This year's addition, “Most Beautiful Native Fish,” provides a dedicated platform for native ornamental fish from China.

According to the organizers, the competition aims to reveal the beauty of local aquatic species while encouraging responsible fishkeeping and the protection of native ecosystems. It also seeks to bring Chinese native-fish culture to a broader international audience.

The new competition complements the event's existing categories, extending the conversation beyond aquarium composition to the species and habitats that inspire it.

Results and award ceremony: the dates to follow

The latest announcement says winners will be announced subsequently and that the award ceremony will take place during the 30th China International Pet Show (CIPS 2026).

The published CIAC 2026 schedule lists the following dates:

October 10, 2026: Results announcement.
November 13, 2026: CIAC 2026 award ceremony during CIPS 2026.

Readers should follow the official CIAC channels for the results release and any schedule updates.

Follow the aquascaping community on AquaLibs

While waiting for this year's results, explore AquaRank, AquaLibs' global aquascaper rankings, to discover published competition records across different contests and seasons.

The aquascaper directory offers another way to get to know the people behind the layouts, from familiar competitors to creators you are discovering for the first time.

With submissions complete and a new native-fish competition in place, CIAC 2026 now moves toward its next milestone: the announcement of this year's winning entries.

Sources: The organizers' Chinese-language WeChat announcement, “2026‘长城杯’国际造景大赛（CIAC）开启评审！”, supplied to AquaLibs, and the official CIAC competition schedule. English adaptation prepared October 2, 2026.

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