Smart education is a new educational paradigm in the era of digital AI for the modernization of education in China. Smart education pursues customized education by individuals, levels, and abilities, which can be implemented through the digitization of the educational environment and the advancement of educational governance using IT technologies such as AI. The Chinese government is bringing smart education to the fore in the 14th five-year plan, which shows that China's educational innovation has completely changed and developed from the existing ‘Internet+Education’ to ‘AI+Education’. In this paper, the concepts, goals, methods, and status of smart education in China were examined, focusing on smart education pillar plan, smart education development indices, smart education platforms, smart homework, smart campus, and smart physical education. China's educational innovation, represented by smart education at this stage, still prioritizes solving Chinese problems such as suppressing private education, closing gaps between regions, and improving the educational environment. However, it is essential to note that innovative experiments in smart physical education using cutting- edge IT technology are underway, providing valuable references for leading innovations. As for how these policies promoted by the Chinese government are actually being realized on the front line of the education field, further confirmation should be sought. However, considering the characteristics of China's political system and the achievements of China's continuous education development so far, the trend of digital-based education innovation is expected to persist and expand, even with any detailed adjustments due to internal and external conditions.