Refining iconic concepts serves as a key focal point for constructing China's narrative system, as the two are logically embedded and value oriented in the same direction. As a vital spiritual force underpinning national rejuvenation, building a culturally powerful country has gained increasingly prominent strategic status, and the narrative framework of its iconic concepts has gradually taken shape. The iconic concepts for building a cultural power in the new era are characterized by indigenous origin and creation, continuity of historical inheritance, commanding cognitive function, stability of intrinsic meaning, strategic discourse orientation, and communicative narrative expression. Taking these features as the criterion scale, an iconic concept narrative system has been formed that runs through the principles and methods, political guidance, spiritual pursuit, value destination, cultural stance and practical strategy of building a cultural power. The narrative of iconic concepts hinges on modern transformation. Specifically, on the basis of grasping the structural logic of the narrative system, it should calibrate the practical orientation, help build an independent cultural knowledge system, lead the innovation of cultural discourse, inherit cultural values and ideas, and advance the international communication of Chinese culture, so as to realize two way interaction and coupled progress between theoretical deepening and practical expansion.