Beautiful China: Reflections on Landscape Architecture in Contemporary China [Hardcover]

Beautiful China is the title of the Chinese governments broad policy to ensure the traditions and esthetics of Chinese culture not only survive as heritage but apply to contemporary society and to the future. Beautiful China is also nested within the larger policy concept of creating an ecological civilization.

Applied to a nation of over 1.3 billion people and the second most powerful economy in the world, these policies are arguably the most fascinating socio-political experiment taking place anywhere in the world today. This book is the first serious consideration of this policy and what it means for the design professions in contemporary China.CN Presented side by side in English and Chinese, with photographs by Shengyuan Zheng, the essays, often lyrical and always engaging, apply Beautiful China's aesthetic lens to a broad range of topics, including Chinese conceptions of landscape and the future of urban public space. This highly accessible book is essential reading for any design professional seeking to better understand the Chinese landscape. --Landscape Architecture Magazine