Open Access (OA) plays a pivotal role in the process of open academic exchange, and exploring the OA process is beneficial for promoting the benign development of the OA movement in China and providing meaningful reference and insight for all stakeholders. This paper comprehensively utilizes the literature review inductive, and case analysis methods to divide the OA movement into four main stages. It systematically explores and categorizes the early developmental process, rapid development period, challenges faced by OA, and new opportunities. OA holds great significance for constructing an open academic exchange ecosystem, yet there are still controversies and challenges in OA regarding funding, quality control, and intellectual property protection. It is suggested that China should further aggregate the wisdom of all stakeholders, promote the sustainable development of OA, and enhance its influence and discourse power in the international aspect.