Prof. Cao Min, deputy director of XTBG, headed up a 5-person delegation to Vietnam in mid April. The visit was aimed at furthering cooperation with Institute of Tropical Biology of Vietnam and investigating biological diversity ofCAT TIEN National Park.

During their visit in Vietnam, XTBG delegation had discussion with Institute of Tropical Biology for further cooperation, made field investigations in CAT TIEN National Park, exchanged ideas with Center for Biodiversity and Development of Vietnam.

After field investigations in CAT TIEN National Park, XTBG delegation participated in a symposium on biodiversity hosted by Institute of Tropical Biology of Vietnam.

About The CAT TIEN National Park covers 71,920 Hectares (278 square miles) of lowland forest and swamp in southern Viet Nam and is home to numerous birds and mammals. It is approximately 160 km (100 miles) north east of Ho Chi Minh City, from which it is accessible in 3-4 hours. One of Vietnam's most important and largest National Parks, it is mostly situated at the northern edge of Ðông Nam Bô (South-eastern) region, but includes southern edge of Tây Nguyên (the Western Highlands). To add to its conservation value, in the south-west it is contiguous with the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve.

The Park is varied and made up of seasonally flooding grassland and swamp forest. The wetland is bounded to the east, south and west by dense humid evergreen forest with semi-evergreen and deciduous forest in the park itself. To date, more than 1,610 plant species have been recorded, in 162 botanical families.

Communicating with members of Centre for Bio-diversity and Development at VAST

Talking with Dr. Luu Hong Truong, deputy director of the Centre for Bio-diversity and Development at VAST

Members of the field investigation group (Cao Min, Hu Jianxiang, Tan Yunhong, Li Jianwu, Liu Meng)

Forest of Cat Tien National Park (Dominated by Largestroemia calyculata)

Forest of Cat Tien National Park (Dominated by Swintonia floribunda and Dipterocarpus alatus)