過去數十年我國的經濟發展被譽為世界奇蹟。在物質生活富裕之後，社會上普遍講究休閒生活，學術界也開始注重休閒的教學與研究。本文的目的是討論有關休閒的一些觀念，希望藉此增加對休閒的暸解與推廣。

Following the economic affluence, there is an increasing emphasis on recreation and leisure in the society. In response to the increasing needs for recreation and leisure, several interacademic fields, including landscape architecture, forestry, geography, tourism, health, and business management, have contributed in teaching and research to the understanding of recreation and leisure, and it is essential that the body of knowledge continues to expand. The purpose of this paper is to interpret the meanings of recreation and leisure. It is concluded that both recreation and leisure should be promoted to improve a society's quality of living.