– International Landscape Experts Meeting to be held from October 24th to 26th

The 10th Korea-China-Japan Landscape Architecture Experts Meeting will be held from October 24th to 26th in Suwon at the Gyeonggi Small- and Medium Business Support Center, under the subject of development and expansion of Korea’s landscape architecture with regard to its cultural aspect. It is a meeting for academic and technological exchange in the field of landscape architecture.

This meeting first took place in 1998, and has since been held annually in Korea, China and Japan. It is held to exchange academic and technological information on landscape architecture, considering factors such as the environment, the economy and the tourism culture of the three countries, and is intended to form a strong network between academia, industry and government.

The meeting is sponsored by Gyeonggi Province, and is being jointly held by the Gyeonggi Green & Agriculture Foundation, the Korea Institute of Landscape Architecture, the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, and the Japanese Association of landscape Architects. The event will be participated in by 300 people, including Governor of Gyeonggi Province Kim Moon-soo, scholars from Korea, China and Japan, civil servants, and industry representatives.

At a conference to be held on the 25th, there will be an introduction of Beijing’s green land policy, which is currently being promoted by the Chinese government ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, under the slogan “Green Olympics”.

A variety of events are to be held, including Beijing’s landscape cultivation cases under its theme of “Green Olympics”, a site tour, and exhibitions

In addition, the nature restoration joint project undertaken by Korea, China and Japan will be presented and analyzed in this meeting. This project had the aim of turning areas in large cities that had previously been used as industrial plants into city parks.

On the 26th, the last day of the meeting, the participants will tour Gyeonggi’s most highly valued historical and cultural sites, including Hwaseong in Suwon, Hoam Arts Museum in Yongin, the traditional Korean garden Heewon, and Yongjusa Temple in Hwaseong.

Meanwhile, the participants will attend the 2007 Korea Environment Landscape Exhibition, which will open under the theme of “City Infrastructure and Landscape”. Here, the participants will be able to enjoy a total of 47 prize-winning art works that were selected from the total of 210 entries made by students majoring gardening and city planning. The grand prize was given to Choi Young-joon (and two others) whose work was titled Spine Landscape.

Kim Duck-young, CEO of the Gyeonggi Green & Agriculture Foundation, said, “This meeting will play a role in developing the landscape architecture of three countries. It is expected serve as a place where various academic perspectives and technological information can be shared, and will also serve to publicize Korea’s traditional landscape through Gyeonggi Province’s historical and cultural legacies.