OCLAA, a non-profit professional association, standing for "Overseas Chinese Landscape Architects Association", evolves from its former organization named OCLAN (Overseas Chinese Landscape Architecture Network). Its history can trace back to 1994 when one of the OCLAN co-founders, Ms Huan Rong, visited Boston?

She wrote: "In October 1994, I was on vacation in Boston. Through my college classmate Kongjian Yu who studies at GSD, Harvard, I had the opportunity getting to meet with several Beijing Forestry University Alumini-Xiaowei Ma with Sasaki, Kongjian's wife: Qingpin Ji, Weipin Yu and Yinjie Wei with Carol Johnson 's office. On this special occasion, we decided to form a professional organization called the Overseas Chinese Landscape Architecture Network (OCLAN). Our first goal was to share our professional experience and help each other to establish career overseas. The second goal was to encourage professional exchange programs between China and other countries.

"From 1994 - 1996 this small organization had grown from 7 founding members to over 80 members in Europe, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada and the United States. There have been 6 newsletters issued which included information of member's professional achievement and promotion; graduate school research essays; new and hot issues in the landscape architectural field; major LA firm introduction; design office humors; member's family news and local member's gatherings; and the last important section is the member's contact list.

"During OCLAN era, we started a professional exchange program between China and the United States, including:

• In summer 1996, OCLAN helped coordinate the first China Landscape Architects Delegation visit to the United States. Delegates from China visited the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in Washington DC, and other places such as Boston, Florida and California.
• In February 1997, China Urban Park and Greenway Department organized a 3-day Overseas Landscape Architectural symposium in Beijing. There were 5 OCLAN members invited as speakers: Peter Liu, Xiaowei Ma and Huan Rong from the United States; Zhang Zunhua from Japan and Kongjian Yu from Beijing University.
• In summer 1997, the second China Landscape Architects Delegation was again invited to visit the United States.
• In winter 1998, 4 OCLAN members: Henry Lu, Changshan Huang, Xiaowei Ma and Huan Rong submitted research papers and participated in the Third Congress of China Young Science and Professionals in Beijing, which has 30% delegates from overseas.

"Because several OCLAN key members have relocated or gotten overloaded with work, OCLAN has been quiet for the last three years. In summer 2001, a group of Texas A&M University landscape architecture alumni and faculty, as well as some professionals in the Houston metropolitan area reinitiated this organization. Since then, the official name has been changed to Overseas Chinese Landscape Architects Association, and is registered as a non-profit organization in Texas."