Abstract Based on the concept of multifunction and landscape functions, this article reviews rural multifunctional development in the context of globalization. Change in the patterns of urbanization and the revaluing of the rural lifestyle, inversion of demographic flows between urban and rural areas, the increased importance placed on protecting the environment and regions with unique characteristics, and the changes in consumption, food habits, employment, and related activities. At different developmental stages, a region has special strategic objectives and core issues to be resolved as well as various functions that conferred by regional development. Landscape patterns express past policy decisions, and landscape processes shape the possibilities for future policy and economy. An examination of landscape dynamics can therefore graphically demonstrate tensions, conflicts and contradictions within and between different policy paradigms, in particular upon the landscape effects of the radical reforms of agricultural policy that were implemented in china. A number of recent discourses and initiatives are increasingly challenging the current policy system and practices. First, there is a growing argument for a landscape scale approach to biodiversity and natural habitats in the production landscape. Second, the question of a more coherent and proactive public landscape policy for valuable landscapes has been raised. The purpose of shaping rural landscape multifunctionality is to protect and improve rural environment, to maintain the biodiversity for ecological function, to improve the tourism and special culture site of social-economical function and to inherit the history as kind of culture function. For rural transition at the present stage, it is not enough to focus only on eco-environment or cultural landscape, high attention should be paid on reshaping the multifuctionality of rural landscape and its planning and utilization of the rural areas and with increased subsidiarity and localization of rural development policies. In the end, some suggestions are put forward, so that new insights on the sustainable development in rural area can be best.
2012, Vol. 27 
