On 10 November 2024, I had the great pleasure of meeting IFLA President Dr Bruno Marques in Shenzhen, China, at the opening of a memorial garden, dedicated to both of my father Professor Sun Xiao Xiang, winner of 2014 IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, and the late Professor Meng Zhaozheng. The new garden is located in Shenzhen Fair Lake Botanical Garden (1982-1983, spanning 590 hm²), one of Professor Sun’s renowned planning and design works. I was honored when Dr Marques expressed his enthusiasm and sincere interest in having me write a piece about my father’s journey with IFLA and to showcase the opening of the memorial garden.
To pay tribute to Professor Sun Xiao Xiang, the designers have created a small fragrance garden to symbolize the one he planned and envisioned for Shenzhen Fair Lake Botanical Garden more than 40 years ago. Professor Sun’s sculpture can be seen naturally blending in with the surrounding trees and flowers, while butterflies, attracted by the fragrance of the nearby plants, dance freely and beautifully in the gentle breeze.
The sculpture, in its low-profile, picturesque natural setting, accurately represents Professor Sun’s thoughts and reminded me of his statement: “Sculptures are solidified spirits”, from his paper, “Sculptures — Aesthetic Language in Landscape Architecture
Design ”, published in 1988.
And the copperplate reads:
"Sun Xiao Xiang (2021-2018, born in Hangzhou, China) Professor from Beijing Forestry University, founder of Chinese modern landscape architecture discipline, one of the founders and former vice president of Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, is an Educator, a Landscape Architect, a Horticulturist, a Painter, an ecologist, an architect and a Landscape planner at the same time. Known as ‘The father of Chinese Modern Landscape Architecture Design’, he was the one who paved the way to lead Chinese modern landscape architecture to the world stage with indomitable determinations. He is the first winner of The International Federation of Landscape Architects ‘IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award’ from China and one of the first winners of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture life Achievement Award.”
“Sun Xiao Xiang graduated from Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Zhejiang University in 1946, then taught there until 1956, when he has started teaching at Beijing Forestry University. His groundbreaking，visionary， systematic and humanistic academic achievements have had profound influences on Chinese modern landscape architecture discipline. He has practiced landscape planning and design for 70 years, his timeless works such as Huagangguanyu Park (Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor, one of the ten scenic spots of Hangzhou West Lake), Hangzhou Botanical Garden, Beijing Botanical Garden (predecessor of China National Botanical Garden), South China Botanical Garden (predecessor of South China National Botanical Garden) , Shenzhen Fair Lake Botanical Garden and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have created a collection of eternal classics of Chinese Modern Landscape Architecture.”
Professor Sun Xiao Xiang’s sculpture in the memorial garden opened in 2024.
IFLA President Dr Bruno Marques and CHSLA President Mr Li Rusheng (both in the center) with other guests at the opening of the memorial garden.
Professor Sun Xiao Xiang devoted 22 years (1983-2005) as the first and only IFLA individual member representing the People’s Republic of China until the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture (CHSLA) joined IFLA in December 2005. During this time, he made significant contributions to introducing IFLA to China at the ministerial level, gaining support at all levels to establish the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, initiating communications and building links between the Chinese landscape architecture community and IFLA, and seeking collaborations to overcome obstacles in order to pave the way for CHSLA to join IFLA.
The valuable archives Professor Sun preserved provide a microcosm of an inspiring chapter in IFLA’s history, when the joint efforts of IFLA members, as individuals or groups, worked together toward the same goals to make IFLA better and stronger.
Professor Sun’s journey with IFLA started in early 1983, when he received a letter for the very first time from IFLA President, Zvi Miller (ISR, IFLA President 1982-1986), introducing IFLA and inviting him to attend the upcoming 21st IFLA World Congress, along with printed materials including IFLA constitution and IFLA newsletters.
In 1983, Professor Sun attended the 21st IFLA World Congress (Munich, Germany, 31 August-3 September). He was also invited by President Miller to attend the Annual Grand Council Meeting. The historical moment came on 28 August, when the Grand Council unanimously approved that Professor Sun Xiao Xiang would be the first ever individual member from the People’s Republic of China to join IFLA. Now there was an ambassador, a bridge and a conversation channel between IFLA and the Chinese landscape architecture community. Until this point, for decades, the two sides had known very little about each other, and one of the major challenges for IFLA at the time was detailed by President Miller in his annual report to the Grand Council:
“Only little progress can be reported from one of our major problem areas – the introduction of Landscape Architecture into more countries. Recent approaches on ministerial level in 9 countries remained so far without an echo. The more I am pleased to report that after decades of IFLA’s efforts to establish contacts, one of my recent letters, addressed to professionals in the People’s Republic of China, resulted in an application for individual membership in IFLA, with considerable chances of a formation of a Chinese association of Landscape Architects”.
During the Congress, Professor Sun Xiao Xiang was elected as a member of “Committee on Historic Landscapes”, established in 1983 by immediate past president Dr Hans F Werkmeister (DEU, IFLA President 1978-1982), which became “Committee on Historic Landscapes and Gardens” in 1991.
IFLA President Miller’s 1983 letter to Professor Sun.
Professor Sun at the 21st IFLA World Congress in 1983.
Professor Sun Xiao Xiang was the first person in mainland China to translate the IFLA constitution and newsletters into Chinese and persistently worked, since 1983, to introduce IFLA’s constitution and global developments in the landscape architecture profession. He also made a case to form the Chinese Association of Landscape Architects, with the ultimate goal for it to join IFLA as an association member, by submitting formal written letters and reports, attached with latest international supporting documents, which he also translated, to the Chinese Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Education or Ministry of Construction respectively.
Since the eighties, Professor Sun invited many IFLA members to come to China for culture exchange programs or to give lectures, and introduced IFLA papers to landscape architects in China for inspiration and learning. He wrote numerous recommendation letters for students to study abroad to broaden their views.
Through the platform and professional network of IFLA, and the profound influences of his international speeches, papers, lecture tours, and painting exhibitions, Professor Sun had many fortunate opportunities to introduce ancient Chinese philosophy, literature, art, history of garden design, and the brilliant accomplishments of Chinese modern landscape architecture to the audiences around the world.
In 1984, at the the 3rd IFLA Eastern Regional Conference (Hong Kong, 6-10 March), Professor Sun Xiao Xiang, the first ever IFLA speaker from the People’s Republic of China, gave his speech “The Built Environment Must be Rich With The Pleasures of Wild Nature — A Chinese Traditional Idea of Landscape Planning” (also published in IFLA yearbook, 1985/1986), illustrated by the colorful slides of his planning and design works including Huagangguanyu Park (1952-1954, 20 hm²), Hangzhou Botanical Garden (1956, 200 hm²) and South China Botanical Garden (1959, 333 hm²). His powerful and impressive speech received overwhelmingly positive response, especially after the delegates visited the three of Professor Sun’s works shown in his slideshow, during the post conference tours arranged by the organizing committee.
Professor Sun’s 1984 biodata and abstract.
IFLA delegates visited South China Botanical Garden in 1984.
As results of his success on the IFLA stage in 1984 and positive ripple effects generated thereafter, Professor Sun was nominated and selected as the winner of the prestige “Haydn Williams Fellowship 1985” of Curtin University, Australia.
In 1985, he was invited as a visiting professor for a 10-week residency at the School of Architecture and Planning, Curtin University. During that time, “Professor Sun Xiao Xiang’s Painting Exhibition” hosted by Curtin University was opened to the general public in Perth; hundreds of honored guests were invited to the opening reception.
Following the completion of his teaching program at Curtin University, Professor Sun was jointly invited and sponsored by the Design Arts Board of the Australia Council, Curtin University, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), and the Australian Garden History Society (AGHS) for an academic speech tour in 12 cities, including the national capital and all six state capitals, as well as a lecture tour at 15 universities, including the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Queensland. In addition, he was invited as a distinguished international speaker to give his speech “Cities Should be Filled with the Pleasures of Wild Nature” at Cityscape’85 - the 1985 National Conference of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.
While in Australia, Professor Sun gave a total of 43 public academic speeches, 15 Chinese painting demonstration sessions, multiple painting exhibitions, and two live broadcast radio speeches. His passionate and charismatic speeches always attracted a full house of enthusiastic audiences along the way.
He was frequently reported by the news media, as in “Garden is a work of Art ”, “Sun Shines in WA” and “Art Lesson…Chinese-style”, published in The West Australian on April 18, May 22 and May 29 respectively, and in “Professor Sun Xiaoxiang shines in Australia” published in LANDSCAPE AUSTRALIA 3/85, just to name a few. In addition, Professor Sun’s invited paper “The Art of My Landscape Design Works” was published in THE ARCHITECT W.A. 1985/2.
Invitation for the opening ceremony of Professor Sun’s Chinese painting exhibition at Curtin University, Australia.
Invitation for the opening ceremony of Professor Sun’s Chinese painting exhibition at Curtin University, Australia.
Professor Sun Xiao Xiang “Shines in Australia” published in LANDSCAPE AUSTRALIA 3/85.
Professor Sun while delivering his speech at the National Conference of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects in 1985.
In 1985, Professor Sun has attended the 23rd IFLA World Congress (Tokyo and Kobe, Japan, 27 May-1 June) as a speaker. His speech “The Essence of the Heritages of Chinese Classical Garden — the Art of the Ideal Landscape School of Scholar’s Gardens” (also published in IFLA yearbook, 1986/1987), was sensational and successful, and as a result he immediately received an invitation to be a speaker at World Conference on Education for Landscape Planning, which was to be hosted by Harvard University in the following year.
At the 1985 IFLA Grand Council Meeting (May 24-26), Professor Sun updated the Grand Council on the progress regarding the formation of a Chinese association of landscape architects. A discussion among President Miller, immediate Past President Dr Hans F Werkmeister and Professor Sun Xiao Xiang was documented in the minutes of the meeting in section J-3: China (Professor S. XIAOXIANG), with a conclusion by President Miller: “there was for the time being no formal application from a Chinese association, the profession had to be more recognized, and in the meantime, China would be represented by an Individual member ”.
IFLA President Miller and Professor Sun at the 23rd World Congress in 1985.
Professor Sun and Mr Anagnostopoulos (GRC, IFLA President 1992-1996) at the 23rd World Congress in 1985.
In 1986, Professor Sun Xiao Xiang attended the World Conference on Education for Landscape Planning, hosted by Harvard University . His speech, “The Aesthetics and Education of Landscape Planning in China”, under the theme “Model of Education and Practice”, was published in Landscape and Urban Planning 13 (1986) , published by Elsevier Publishers, B.V., Amsterdam.
Professor Sun’s perspectives on balanced skill sets, emphasizing both art and science in his education model for landscape planners, and designers—famously known as “walking with five legs” (Poetry, Painting, Ecology, Horticulture, Architecture)—have since had a profound influence on landscape planning educators worldwide. During the conference, Harvard University also hosted an exhibition of Professor Sun’s paintings.
It was then that Professor Sun recommended the first student from the People’s Republic of China to study under Dr Carl Steinitz, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Planning, as a PhD student at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.
Dr Steinitz with Professor Sun and his daughters, Lang Hong (far left) and Lang Lan (far right, the author of this article), at Professor Sun’s painting exhibition hosted by Harvard University during the 1986 World Conference.
In 1987, Professor Sun was selected for a cultural exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People’s Republic of China (CSCPRC) as an exchange scholar to lecture at five U.S. universities. This included a 10-week residency at the School of Architecture, the Ohio State University, followed by a lecture tour at other universities, including the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Multiple exhibitions of Professor Sun’s paintings were hosted by the universities.
Professor Sun at his painting demonstration workshop.
From September 1989 to February 1990, Professor Sun returned to Harvard University, U.S.A., as an appointed visiting scholar and received the prestigious Harvard “Red Tie” award. During this time, Professor Sun’s Painting Exhibition was hosted by Harvard University. Following the completion of his teaching program at Harvard University, he was jointly invited on a lecture tour of 10 U.S. universities, including the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Virginia, the University of Florida, and Rutgers University.
By the late eighties, the right time to form a Chinese association of landscape architects had arrived. In November 1989, the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture (CHSLA) was formed in Hangzhou and Professor Sun Xiao Xiang was one of the founders of CHSLA. It was a significant milestone, widely celebrated and a giant step forward.
Professor Sun was elected Vice President of CHSLA in November 1993. Soon after, when an opportunity to establish an initial dialogue between CHSLA and IFLA arose, he seized it without hesitation. His decisive actions quickly resulted in the first meeting and handshake ever between the Presidents of CHSLA and IFLA.
In February 1994, Professor Sun received a letter from IFLA President George L Anagnostopoulos (GRC, IFLA President 1992-1996) regarding his plan to come to Beijing, China, on holiday, and then he wrote:
“It would be so wonderful to see you again after all these years and to also meet, if possible, other Chinese colleagues. It will be a good opportunity to discuss the ways and means of reactivating China’s involvement in IFLA and to also examine the possibility of your Society joining our Federation. China, a country with unsurpassed in garden art and impressive contemporary achievements in landscape design, has important role to play on our international professional scene.”
Upon receiving the letter, Professor Sun immediately delayed his scheduled work trip to southern China and successfully arranged for IFLA President Anagnostopoulos to meet with CHSLA President Zhou Ganshi, former deputy minister of the Ministry of Construction. Mr Richard L P Tan (SGP, IFLA President 2000-2002), the then First Vice President of IFLA, also came to Beijing with Mr Anagnostopoulos to attend the meeting.
On April 10, 1994, the historical meeting took place. In addition to IFLA President George L Anagnostopoulos, Vice President Richard L P Tan, and CHSLA President Zhou Ganshi, Vice President Sun Xiao Xiang, and many other key members from CHSLA, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Construction and the Foreign Ministry, attended the meeting. It was an important milestone for both CHSLA and IFLA, although many challenges remained ahead.
Based on the outcome of the meeting, IFLA President Anagnostopoulos took decisive actions. On August 31, 1994, he wrote to Professor Sun to inform him of an important IFLA Grand Council decision:
“I am pleased to inform you that the Grand Council of IFLA, at its meeting in Cocoyoc, Morelos, Mexico, on 30 May 1994, acting on my proposal, admitted you unanimously as an individual member of IFLA. The Grand Council was aware that you will in fact be representing the Chinese Society of Landscape Architects which, for reasons beyond their will, are not able to present to apply for membership.
On behalf, therefore, of the Executive Committee of IFLA, I welcome you to our International IFLA community. We are very glad to see you in IFLA again, after many years, and we are looking forward to a close and fruitful collaboration with your Society through your personal involvement”.
IFLA President Anagnostopoulos and Professor Sun’s letter exchange in 1994.
Mr Anagnostopoulos and Mr Tan met Professor Sun at the 21st IFLA World Congress in 1983. They both knew very well that it took 11 years to finally come to this point. However, little did anyone know at the time that it would take another 11 years to eventually overcome all obstacles for CHSLA to join IFLA.
Years later, in 2011, Richard L P Tan in his article, “A True Citizen of the World ”, published in Landscape Architecture Journal 03/2001, recounted the first meeting between IFLA and CHSLA in Beijing, and wrote:
“Thus commenced the first dialogue between IFLA and the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture (CHSLA). This dialogue was to continue for another 10 years, and in 2005, CHSLA finally joined IFLA. This success story is the result of the foresight and perseverance of one man, Professor Sun Xiao Xiang. It is my privilege to know Xiao Xiang. Over the years, I have come to know him as a very passionate landscape architect, a prolific painter, a sincere and honorable person. Resolute in vision, undaunting in spirit, he is a true citizen of the world”.
In 1995, Professor Sun attended the 32nd IFLA World Congress (Bangkok, Thailand, 21-24 October) as a speaker. His speech “Tourism Development and Its Gains and Losses on Natural, Historical Environments and Culture in Modern China — And What Should We Do to Study from These Lessons” ( The Proceedings of the 32nd IFLA World Congress) again was very successful and influential.
Professor Sun delivering his speech and accepting a trophy at the 32nd IFLA World Congress in 1995.
In 1998, Professor Sun Xiao Xiang attended the IFLA’s Central Region Symposium (Athens, Greece, 8-10 September) as a keynote speaker. His speech “Art: An Aesthetic Theme in Chinese Scholar’s Gardens” was published by IFLA in the book titled, “Art and Landscape”, in 2001, and its positive impact continued in the coming years…
In 2004, past IFLA President George L Anagnostopoulos, who has been keeping in contact with Professor Sun for decades, wrote to him:
“One of the most important culture events organized in Athens for the Olympics is a magnificent exhibition of “Imperial Treasures from China”, at the National Gallery Alexander Soutzos Museum. It was intended to represent Beijing’s hosting the next Olympics games in 2008. The catalogue of this exhibition includes your paper on: “Art: An Aesthetic Theme in Chinese Scholar’s Gardens”, which originally was published in our two volume book Art and Landscape. Now, your paper – the only one in the catalogue written by a Chinese author – has been published both in Greek and English”.
Professor Sun’s academic influence in Europe dates back to 1984, when his invited paper “‘Let a Hundred Flowers Blossom!’: Classical Gardens in China” was published in Cultures—Dialogue Between The Peoples of The World, published in multiple languages in Paris by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Professor Sun’s other paper, “The City Should Be Rich in the Pleasures of Wild Nature”, was published in 1994 in Athens, Greece, in EKISATICS, one of the leading international journals at the time on the problems and science of human settlements.
In 2005, Professor Sun attended the 42nd IFLA World Congress (Edinburgh, Scotland, 26-29 June), when a memorandum regarding CHSLA joining IFLA was signed by IFLA President Martha Cecilia Fajardo (COL, IFLA President 2002-2006). By that time, Professor Sun was finally nearing the finishing line to pass on the torch he had carried for more than two decades. In October, on the eve of CHSLA joining IFLA, IFLA President Fajardo and Professor James Hayter (AUS, IFLA President 2018-2022) were invited by CHSLA President Zhou Ganshi to visit China. They were warmly welcomed by President Zhou, Professor Sun, and many other CHSLA members. In December, the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture successfully joined IFLA as an association member.
(from left) Professor Sun, CHSLA President Zhou, IFLA President Fajardo, Professor Hayter, Professor Meng, Mr Gang and Professor Liou in Beijing, 2005.
In 2010, at the 47th IFLA World Congress (Suzhou, China, May 28-30), IFLA President Dr Diane H Menzies (NZ, IFLA President 2006-2010) awarded Professor Sun the “IFLA President’s Certificate of Appreciation”, to recognize his significant contributions to IFLA.
IFLA President Dr Menzies (far left) with Professor Sun and his wife Professor Zhu Chengluo at the 47th IFLA World Congress in Suzhou, China, in 2010.
In June 2014, Professor Sun Xiao Xiang was bestowed with IFLA’s highest honor, the “Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award”. A month later, at the celebration of Professor Sun’s award, hosted by CHSLA and Beijing Forestry University in Beijing, the immediate Past President, Dr Diane H Menzies, who had known Professor Sun in IFLA for three decades, gave a congratulatory speech with the following high remarks:
“Professor Sun, you created and stepped a pathway for the Landscape Architecture profession between East and West where none previously existed. You forged links for IFLA, helping me and others to understand the importance of landscape architecture, what it could be in China, and what contribution this awareness could make to global practice.
Professor, I suspect even now many landscape architects do not fully appreciate the pivotal role you Professor have played in bringing the global practice of landscape architecture together. I am sure you have faced many challenges, but in doing so you have bought the profession of landscape architecture from traditional to the contemporary with utmost bravery and tenacity, integrity and humility. And that is the highest I can say of any of my colleagues.
Your citation for the Jellico award will speak of your contribution to education and practice. On behalf of the global family of landscape architecture, IFLA, we honor and salute you Professor Sun, you are a legend. And to finish, I must sing a short song in the tradition of New Zealand. It is about a tall tree which has stood strong for a long time. The tree has supported us. We applaud you!”
The article “Sun Xiao Xiang,” on Professor Sun’s achievements, was published in the IFLA book 2010-2014. The Sun Xiao Xiang Landscape Architecture Education Fund was established at Zhejiang University in 2015.
In 2021, to pay tribute to Professor Sun Xiao Xiang’s centennial birthday, an exhibition supported by CHSLA and hosted by Beijing Forestry University and Zhejiang University, on Professor Sun’s journey to lead Chinese modern landscape architecture to the global stage, was opened to the general public in his hometown of Hangzhou, at the Hangzhou West Lake Museum.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition on Professor Sun’s international journey at Hangzhou West Lake Museum in 2021.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition on Professor Sun’s international journey at Hangzhou West Lake Museum in 2021.
"In 2023, 'Professor Sun Xiao Xiang’s Groundbreaking and Visionary Contributions to the Founding and Development of Public Gardens and Botanical Gardens in Modern China, and the Profound International Influence Thereof,' along with Professor Sun’s previously unseen planning and design hand drawings and manuscripts, was published in Landscape Architecture, 2023, 30(2).
Professor Sun’s theory came from solid practice, his practice is based on refined theory, his landscape planning and design works are creations of art and science, combining east and west, traditional and contemporary, realistic and abstrac styles harmoniously. The eternal collection of his garden design works will carry on as a vibrant textbook, a glorious epic, a majestic painting and a euphonious symphony in Chinese Modern Landscape Architecture, for generations to come.
“When I am working, my mind is full of poetry. Sometimes I paint on paper, sometimes I paint on vast land, the important thing is to be truthful to your feelings…”
— Sun Xiao Xiang
This piece is written by Professor Sun Xiao Xiang’s daughter Sun Lang Lan