School of Architecture, Tsinghua University  

 Institute for National Parks (National Forestry and Grassland Administration–Tsinghua University)

Tel +86 10 6279 7027  ·  Fax +86 10 6279 7018

yrui@tsinghua.edu.cn

01   Research and Teaching Areas

•  National parks and protected areas

•  World Heritage conservation and management

•  Theory and history of landscape architecture

02   Education

03   Professional Experience

04   Academic and Professional Service

05   Teaching

•  Undergraduate: Introduction to Landscape Architecture

• Graduate           : Reading Classical Literature in Landscape Architecture; Professional Practice in Landscape Architecture

06   Research and Practice Projects

6.1  Selected Research Projects

•  National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program: Spatial Patterns of Wilderness in China and Optimization of Conservation Mechanisms in the Context of National Parks (Principal Investigator)

•  Major Project, National Social Science Fund of China: Theory and Practice of National Park Development in China (Chief Expert)

•  National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program: Community Planning for Scenic and Historic Areas Based on Multiple-Value Identification (Principal Investigator)

•  National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program: Conservation and Monitoring of Scenic and Historic Areas Based on Outstanding-Value Identification (Principal Investigator)

•  National Development and Reform Commission: Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for the Conservation of National Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites (Head, Drafting Expert Group)

•  NDRC-commissioned Research: Study on China’s National Park System (Principal Investigator)

•  NDRC-commissioned Research: Preliminary Study on Reform of China’s National Park and Protected Area Systems (Principal Investigator)

•  Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development: Preliminary Study on Planning Standards for the Conservation and Management of China’s World Natural Heritage Sites (Principal Investigator)

•  National Standard: General Specification for Tourism Planning (GB/T 18971—2003) (Principal Drafter)

•  Group Standard: Standard for Terminology of Scenic and Historic Areas (T/CHSLA 50007-2020) (Principal Investigator)

•  Industry Standard: Classification and Evaluation Standards for Scenic and Historic Area Resources (Principal Investigator)

•  NFGA-commissioned Research: Study on Standards for National Park Designation (Principal Investigator)

•  NFGA-commissioned Research: Assessment of the Current State of China’s Protected Areas, Problems and Reform Recommendations (Principal Investigator)

•  Ministry of Natural Resources / China Land Surveying and Planning Institute: Research on Planning for Protected Areas and National Parks (Principal Investigator)

•  NDRC-commissioned Research: Policy Research on Strengthening the Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in China (Principal Investigator)

•  NFGA-commissioned Research: Analysis of Land Management Issues in Nature Reserves and Recommendations (Principal Investigator)

6.2   Selected Research-Based Planning and Design Projects

•  Strategic Study on Development Planning for National Parks in Northwestern Yunnan (Principal Investigator)

•  Strategic Study on the Protected Area System of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Strategic Planning for Hulunbuir National Park (Principal Investigator)

•  Special Plan for Ecological Experience and Environmental Education in Sanjiangyuan National Park (Principal Investigator)

•  Strategic Study on Conservation and Development of Qinba Mountains National Park (Principal Investigator)

•  Planning Study on Wuyishan National Park and the Associated Protected Area Cluster (Principal Investigator)

•  Planning and Design of the Sports, Tourism and Cultural Industry Cluster in Chongli District (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of Mount Tai Scenic and Historic Area (Principal Investigator)

•  Conservation Plan for Mount Tai World Cultural Heritage Site (Principal Investigator)

•  Conservation Plan for Jiuzhaigou World Natural Heritage Site (Principal Investigator)

•  Detailed Improvement Plan and Feasibility Study for the Outer Precinct of the Temple of Heaven (Principal Investigator)

•  Conceptual Planning for the International Mountain Tourism Zone of Longmen Mountain, Chengdu (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of Zhongshan Park, Beijing (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of the Temple of Heaven (Principal Investigator)

•  Conceptual Plan for Kanbula Scenic and Historic Area, Qinghai (Principal Investigator)

•  Conceptual Plan for East Lake Scenic and Historic Area, Wuhan (Principal Investigator)

•  World Heritage Nomination Dossier and Conservation Management Plan for Mount Wutai (Principal Investigator)

•  System Plan for Scenic and Historic Areas in Beijing (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of Mount Huangshan Scenic and Historic Area (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of Meili Snow Mountain Scenic Area within the Three Parallel Rivers Scenic and Historic Area (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of Jianfengling National Forest Park (Principal Investigator)

•  Master Plan of Yalong Bay National Tourist Resort (Core Team Member)

•  Detailed Development Plan of Yalong Bay National Tourist Resort (Core Team Member)

•  Landscape and Land-Use Plan for the Waterways from the Summer Palace to Shichahai and Yuyuantan, Beijing (Core Team Member)

•  Master Plan of Jingpo Lake National Scenic and Historic Area (Core Team Member)

07   Awards and Honors

2011.10  Master Plan of the Meili Snow Mountain Scenic Area (2002–2020). First Prize, CHSLA Excellent Landscape Architecture Planning and Design Award (2011); ranked 1st of 8.

2012.12  Master Plan of the Meili Snow Mountain Scenic Area (2002–2020). First Prize, Huaxia Construction Science and Technology Award (2012); ranked 1st of 8.

2014.12  Master Plan of Mount Huangshan Scenic and Historic Area. Third Prize, Huaxia Construction Science and Technology Award (2014); ranked 1st of 8.

2020.11  Theory, Technical Methods and Multi-scale Applications for National Parks and Protected Areas in China. First Prize, CHSLA Science and Technology Award (Scientific and Technological Progress); ranked 1st of 5.

2021.10  BEND THE CURVE. Outstanding Award, Unbuilt Projects: Parks and Environmental, IFLA Asia-Pacific Landscape Architecture Awards; ranked 1st of 13.

2022.09  Innovation-Led Development of the Discipline and a Connected, Interactive and Modular Master’s Education System in Landscape Architecture. Second Prize, Beijing Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award (2021); ranked 1st of 12.

08   Selected Publications

[01]  YANG R. On “Jing” and Its Development in Landscape Architecture[J]. Chinese Landscape Architecture, 2014, 30(6): 5–11. (in Chinese)

[02]  YANG R. Recommendations for Establishing a National Park System within the Protected Area System[J]. Outlook Weekly (Liaowang), 2014(29): 28–29. (in Chinese; title translated)

[03]  YANG R. Discussion on Modernity and Chinese Characteristics of Landscape Architecture of China[J]. Chinese Landscape Architecture, 2018, 34(1): 63–64. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1000-6664.2018.01.016. (in Chinese)

[04]  YANG R, ZHUANG Y B, ZHAO Z C. National Park Planning[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2018. (in Chinese; title translated)

[05]  YANG R. Theory and Practice of National Parks and Protected Areas[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2019. (in Chinese; title translated)

[06]  YANG R, ZHUANG Y B, ZHAO Z C, et al. Research on Guidelines for Developing China’s National Park System[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2019. (in Chinese; title translated)

[07]  YANG R, ZHUANG Y B, ZHAO Z C, et al. Strategic Study on the National Park and Protected Area System in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2019. (in Chinese; title translated)

[08]  YANG R, ZHAO Z C, ZHUANG Y B, et al. Ecological Experience and Environmental Education Planning for Sanjiangyuan National Park[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2019. (in Chinese; title translated)

[09]  YANG R, ZHAO Z C, ZHUANG Y B, et al. Planning for Wuyishan National Park and the Associated Protected Area Cluster[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2019. (in Chinese; title translated)

[10]  YANG R, CAO Y, HOU S, et al. Cost-effective priorities for the expansion of global terrestrial protected areas: Setting post-2020 global and national targets[J]. Science Advances, 2020, 6(37): eabc3436. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc3436.

[11]  YANG R. Theoretical and Practical Research on China’s National Park and Protected Area System[M]. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2021. (in Chinese; title translated)

[12]  YANG R, ZHONG L, ZHAO Z C. New Engine for Landscape Architecture Discipline of China in the Great Changes[J]. Chinese Landscape Architecture, 2021, 37(11): 14–17. (in Chinese; title translated)

[13]  TSENG T H, WANG F, SUN M, et al. Protected areas unevenly contribute to terrestrial vertebrate habitat conservation in China[J]. Communications Earth & Environment, 2025, 6: 313. DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02281-6.

[14]  WANG F, YANG R, FISHER J D. Living in harmony with nature: From concept to an index revealing gaps in nature wellbeing and human contributions[J]. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2026, 119: 108357. DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2026.108357.