The newly built Lauraceae Garden of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) is officially opened to the public on January 1st, which is part of its 65th anniversary celebration.
Prof. Yang Yongping, director of XTBG, reviewed the history and achievements in Lauraceae conservation and research over the past decades in his opening speech. He encouraged the young staff to inherit and carry forward the spirit of “rooting in the frontier, dedicating themselves to science, and climbing to the top”of the older generation of scientists such as Cai Xitao, and to continuously promote Lauraceae conservation research in the creation of national botanical gardens.
Afterwards, former and current directorate members Pei Shengji, Feng Yaozong, Xu Zaifu, Chen Jin, Yang Yongping and Gan Fanyuan jointly unveiled the Lauraceae Garden. They then planted a Cinnamomum porrectumtree together. (In the 1950s, Prof. Cai Xitao started field investigation of Cinnamomum porrectumtree in Menghai, which opened up the history of spice plant research, and Lauraceae plant research and utilization in Yunnan.)
The construction of the Lauraceae Garden began in 2020, with a planning area of 120 mu. It is proposed to collect and conserve Lauraceae plants from the hot regions of China and Southeast Asia, forming a regional conservation center for Lauraceae plants.
The first phase of the Lauraceae Garden was built on the basis of Lauraceae plants collected by Dr. Song Yu, with a construction area of 70 mu. At present, it has been completed, and more than 120 species of 19 genera of Lauraceae plants have been planted, making it one of the living collections with the largest collection and preservation of Lauraceae plants in the world.
With the opening of the Lauraceae Garden, the number of living collections in XTBG reaches 39.
Prof. Yang Yongping delivers an opening speech.
The Lauraceae Garden unveiled.
A memorial tree is planted.
Participants look around the newly built Lauraceae Garden.
