A Brief Account of the International Architectural Exchange during the Early Years of the PRC, 1949—1978

The international architectural exchange of the PRC had been consistent between 1949 and 1978 when the open policy was adopted. According to governmental institutions that initiated such activities, this paper traces three types of international exchange: the Chinese Academy of Sciences that organized two delegations to visit Soviet Russia, the Ministry of Construction Engineering and the subordinate design institutes and construction firms, and the Architectural Society of China. The first two aimed at formation, modification and implementation of building industrial policies, while the last intends to reach foreign countries either with or without official diplomatic relations with the PRC, benefiting from international exchange and effectively promoting the image of the PRC through non-official channels. The international architectural exchange of three categories discussed above between 1949 and 1978 can be periodized into four stages, and each stage contributed both to the entire governmental diplomacy and the development of Chinese building industry.