The ten more years of the new century is the third stage of Chinese contemporary art in its three-decade history: namely the stage of Legalization. Undoubtedly, 798 Art District plays an important role in this period.

Around 2002, some artists, galleries and book stores moved into 798 Factory one after another. Among them are not only Chinese but also peoples from America, Japan, Germany, Italy ; artists here include Xu Yong, Cang Xin, Chen Qingqing, Huang Rui, Anie, Zhao Bandi and others. Galleries like Beijing Tokyo Art Projects, White Space, and bookstores like Time zone 8 are also established here. In 2005, the 798 Art District began to take shape.

As the most famous centre of display and marketing for contemporary art in China during the recent 10 years, 798 Art District promoted the process of the socialization and commercialization of Chinese contemporary art. Firstly, 798 Art District established a platform of contact between professional art circles and all orders of the society loving art; which pushed the merging of the small art circle with the Chinese society and formed the symbiosis ecological condition of contemporary art; secondly, the gallery industry with contemporary art as its main body spring up rapidly due to the impetus of 798 Art District and prompted the integration of display and commercial trading on art.