Aside from popular subjects such as business studies, Chinese students in Britain have taken up subjects in a wider range of academic fields such as architecture, according to a press release published Friday by London & Partners, the Mayor of London's business and promotional organization.

Figures showed the number of Chinese students studying architecture, planning and building, increased from 1,080 to 2,580 in the last five years, an increase of 130 percent, while in London Chinese architecture students have gone up from 170 to 505, an increase of 197 percent.

"It is a really positive sign that the number of Chinese students studying architecture is increasing so dramatically because it demonstrates that Chinese students are broadening their choice of subject areas," said Kevin McCarthy, an education expert from London & Partners.

There are currently 12,000 mainland Chinese students and a further 3,000 from Hong Kong, studying in London.

The most popular subject for Chinese students in London is business studies followed by creative arts and design, while engineering, technology, computers and mathematics are also popular and have seen significant increases in recent years, according to McCarthy.

"Students here learn from some of the best academics but they also have a city on their doorstep with a thriving cultural and creative scene, which includes some of the best museums, libraries and creative practices," said Prof. C J Lim from the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL.