The Art of Survival Positioning Landscape Architec

作者：俞孔坚发表：TheArtofSurvival:RecoveringLandscapeArchitecture,KongjianYuandMaryPadua(Editor),Images,2006(KeynoteSpeechdeliveredatthe2006ASLAAnnualMeetingand43rdIFLAWorldCongress,Minneapolis,USA,October7,2006.Reprinted(withextensiveediting),fromConferenceSpeakerSummaries.)KongjianYu,ASLADeanandProfessor,TheGraduateSchoolofLandscapeArchitecture,PekingUniversityandPresident,Turenscape,Beijing,ChinaAbstractInaneweraofmultipleunprecedentedchallengesimposedbytheprocessesofindustrializationandurbanization,landscapearchitectureisnowonthevergeofchangeintheworld,andespeciallyinChina.ItistimeforthisprofessiontotakethegreatopportunitytopositionitselftoplaythekeyroleinrebuildinganewLandofPeachBlossomsforanewsocietyofurbanized,global,andinterconnectedpeople.Inordertopositionitselfforthissacredrole,landscapearchitecturemustdefineitselfintermsoftheartofsurvival,notjustasadescendentofgardening.Theprofessionmustre-evaluatethevernacularofthelandandthepeople,andleadthewayinurbandevelopmentbyplanninganddesigninganinfrastructureofbothlandscapeandecology,throughwhichlandscapecanbecreatedandpreservedasamedium,andastheconnectinglinkbetweentheland,thepeople,andthespirits.IntroductionChinaisnowatthestageofreshapingitsruralandurbanlandscape.Urbanization,globalizationandthespreadofmaterialismhaveprovidedanopportunityforlandscapearchitectureasaprofessiontoaddressthefollowingthreemajorchallengesandopportunitiesinthecomingdecades.First,asolutionmustbefoundtoaddresstheenergyandenvironmentalcrises.Second,culturalidentitymustberegained,andthird,thesenseofspiritualconnectiontotheearthmustbeenhanced.Thesignificanceoflandscapearchitectureasaprofessionindealingwiththeseworldwidechallengesiscomprehensiveinitsscope,examiningthecomplexityofnaturalandbiologicalprocesses,culturalandhistoricalinfluences,andspiritualcomponents.IFLApresidentMarthaFajardosaysthatLandscapearchitectistheprofessionofthefuture.Thefutureoftheprofessionispositiveanditisinauniquepositiontodealwiththelandscapeasanagentforpositivechange.Thisfuturewillonlybeoursifweareprepared.Toaddressthischallenge,thispaperwillfocusonseveralissuesregardingthedirectioninwhichlandscapearchitectureisheaded.Thesequestionsincludeananalysisofthecurrentera,thechallengesandopportunitiesthatlandscapearchitecturecurrentlyface,astudyofthemissionofcontemporarylandscapearchitectureanditsgoal,andfinallyalookathowlandscapearchitecturecantaketheleadroleinaddressingthemajorchallengesofthetime.Itwillalsoexaminethestrategiesandadjustmentslandscapearchitectureshouldtaketomeetthesechallengesandcomparethestrategiesthatlandscapearchitectscanutilizetofulfillthismission.1TheLandofPeachBlossomsandtheOriginofLandscapeArchitectureasanArtofSurvivalInanancientChinesestoryaboutalandofpeachblossoms,toldbypoetTaoYuanming(365-427AD).Afishermantravelingalongastreaminaboatchancesuponaplaceframedatbothsidesbyblossomingpeachtrees.Inthelegend,theplace,thesourceofthestream,washiddenbehindahill.Thelandhadwell-cultivatedbasins,paths,ditches,wassurroundbylushforest-coveredhills,andwasconnectedbyasinglenarrowcave.Inthisisolatedutopianlandscape,acommunitylivedhappilyasafamily,wheretheelderlywerehealthyandtheyoungwerelively.Thefishermanwaswelcomedintothepeoples'homesandtreatedwithgeneroushospitality,andwasentertainedwithwineandbountifulfood.Afterthefishermanleftthelandofpeachblossomsandreturnedtothecity,hecouldneveragainfindthisland.Thisis,inessence,theoriginalstoryofShangri-La,amystical,harmoniousvalleydescribedin1933byBritishnovelistJamesHiltoninLostHorizon.Sincewehaveexperiencedsuchharmoniouslandscapes,webelievethattherewereandstillarenumerousChineseruralvillagesthatcanbedescribedtodayaslandsofpeachblossoms.Theyaretheproductofthousandsofyearsofthetrialsanderrorsofouragriculturalancestors.Naturaldisasters,includingfloods,droughts,earthquakes,landslides,soilerosion,aswellastheexperienceoffieldmaking,irrigation,andfoodproduction,taughtourancestorstocreateandmaintainsuchlandsasthelandofpeachblossoms.Itwastheskillandartofsurvivalthatrenderedourlandscapeproductive,safe,beautiful,andmeaningful(Figure01).ForthousandyearsagoinChina'sYellowRiverValley,duringoneofseveralthousandnaturaldisasters,avillagewascompletelyburiedbyafloodandsubsequentlandslide,killingallofitsinhabitants.Whenamotherwasbeingburiedinthemud,sheprotectedherbabychild,raisedherhead,stretchedherarms,andcalledthegodsforhelp(Figure02).Therespondinggod,DaYu,wasconsideredadeitywhowasabletomakefriendswiththefloods,andwhobegantouserulesandmeasures,andmadewiseuseofthelandtoselectasafeplaceforthepeopletobuildacity.DaYuwasChina'sfirstemperor(Figure03).Thus,landscapearchitecturehaditsoriginsincombinationwiththeartofsurvivalandtheemperor'sleadership.Itwasthisemperor'sartofsurvivalandlandstewardship,whichevolvedoverthousandsofyearsoftrialanderror,thathelpedthedisasterstrickenChinesepeopleselectsafeplacesfortheirsettlements.Theytilledfieldsyetkeptthesoilsafefromerosion,divertedwaterforirrigation,andselectedtherightplantsforfoodproduction(Figure04).Unfortunately,theydidnotappreciatetherealtraditiona