"Landscape Architecture" is a discipline combining planning, design, protection, construction, and management between outdoor nature and artificial environment. Its core content is outdoor space construction, and its fundamental mission is to coordinate the relationship between mankind and nature. As a modern discipline, landscape architecture can be traced back to the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century. It is a new discipline paradigm established by scientific revolution on the basis of classical gardening and landscape gardening.
The School of Landscape Architecture of Beijing Forestry University(BFU), founded in 1951, is the birthplace of modern landscape education in China. In the field of landscape architecture throughout the country, three academicians of Chinese Academy of Engineering, the winner of IFLA(International Federation of Landscape Architects) Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, the first highest award in landscape architecture, China’s first International Registration Authority for plant species, China’s first National Engineering Survey and Design Master in the field of landscape architecture, and the first gold award of IFLA International Landscape Architecture Student Design Competition, all came from the School. In 2012, the discipline was the top in the National First-level Discipline Evaluations organized by the Ministry of Education(MOE). In 2016, it obtained A+ in the MOE evaluation and continued to take the lead. Coordinating with urban-rural planning and architecture, the first-level discipline of landscape architecture ranked among the World-class Discipline in 2017. In 2018, it was shortlisted for the first-class discipline jointly constructed by Beijing Municipal Government and universities affiliated with central departments.
In 2018, the discipline carried out the first international assessment within the similar disciplines in China. 9 international experts unanimously agreed that "At present, the discipline of landscape architecture at BFU has reached a worldwide high-level status, enjoyed international reputation, produced considerable influence, and also has a strong leading position in China. The School is the largest teaching and research institution in landscape architecture all over the world. It is also the only school focusing on landscape architecture and leading in architecture, urban planning, regional planning, ornamental horticulture, tourism planning and management. "
Its research areas are crossed, integrated and comprehensively developed. There are historical theory of landscape architecture, planning and design of landscape architecture, landscape planning and ecological restoration, landscape engineering and technology, landscape plants and its applications, landscape heritage protection and utilization, etc., which form a cluster of advantageous disciplines.
The discipline enjoys a numerous national, provincial and ministerial teaching and research platforms, such as National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Gardening, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, MOE Engineering Research Center for Gardening Environment, MOE Key Laboratory of Forests and Flowers’ Genetics and Breeding, Beijing Key Laboratory of Flower Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, NFGA(National Forestry and Grassland Administration) Key Laboratory of Urban and Rural Landscape Construction, and NFGA Engineering and Technological Research Center for Landscape Architecture etc. Meanwhile, there are 5 national, provincial and ministerial Industrial Innovation Alliances, including National Technology Innovation Alliance of Flower Industry and NFGA Technology Innovation Alliance of Flower Industry, Chrysanthemum Industry, Beautiful Countryside, Rural Revitalization Research, Garden Plant, and Eco-environmental Construction of Human Settlements. It also has 1 MOST(the Ministry of Science and Technology) “Demonstration Base for Cultivation of Innovative Talent”. Moreover, there are 1 Beijing Innovation Demonstration Base for Flower Breeding and Research, 34 national research and development bases of flower germplasm resources bank and 1 quality inspection center of flower products. Many industry-university-research integrated platforms are well supported the discipline, such as Sino-Canada National Park Joint Laboratory, Sino -US "River East" Landscape and Hydrology Laboratory, Institute of Beautiful China Ecological Environment of Human Settlements, and Landscape Planning and Design Research Institute etc.
In recent years, the discipline has won 3 second prizes of National S&T Awards, 12 provincial and ministerial S&T awards, and 143 other awards including ASLA Annual Award of American Association of Landscape Architects, LI Awards(British Royal Society of Landscape Architecture), IFLA Regional Annual Award, BALI Awards(British National Landscape Award) and National Excellent Survey and Design Award, etc. Over 64 national research projects are presided over. Its awards and achievements in scientific research ranked the first among all the similar majors in China.
As the most important academic exchange center, it holds about 6 international conferences and more than 80 reports every year, attracts many top masters all over the world, such as Martha Schwartz and Peter Latz, and builds cooperative relations with 21 famous universities.
As the most important practical research center, it has completed projects all over the country to drive the development of this industry. Among them, Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond creates a model of modern park design in China. Shenzhen Xianhu Botanical Garden integrates heritage and development. The Restoration of the Western West Lake and the Greenway in Pearl River Delta leads the construction of China's ecological environment. In the past five years, it has participated in many great projects, including 2019 Beijing World Horticultural Exposition, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and the construction of Xiong'an New District, etc.
As the most cultivation base, it lays a solid foundation for talent reserve in the development of landscape architecture. Thousands of elite graduates have become backbones and leading figures in universities, institutions, scientific research centers and administrative departments, forming a special "BFU Phenomenon" in this industry.
