[2][3]: 1 [4] In 1928, Prof. Zhong Guanguang at the college founded the first botanic garden in China in Jianqiao, Hangzhou.

[6][3]: 3 During the Culture Revolution, despite extensive political chaos and prosecutions, the ZAU faculty continued research such as rice breeding in Hangzhou, Fujian and Hainan.

[10] After the Culture Revolution, the university restarted recruiting undergraduate and postgraduate students and built new research buildings and labs.

[7] Notably, the university founded the first specialised department of agricultural education in China in 1984.

[11] The students of ZAU were reported to participate in the 1989 pro-democracy movement, which led to a visit of Li Zemin, the provincial party secretary, on 1 June 1989.