On August 11, CAS president Lu Yongxiang, who’s also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s top legislature NPC, made an inspection tour to XTBG in the company of other leaders like Mr. Liang Gongqing, vice chairman of Yunnan Provincial People’s Congress, assistant governor Li Lei of Yunnan provincial government, president Zhang Zhuangxin of CAS Kunming Branch, sheriff Dao Linyin of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, etc. Prof. Chen Jin, director of XTBG, and other superintendents of XTBG also accompanied his trip in the Garden.

  During his tour, president Lu Yongxiang looked around the main living plant collections, the new elite garden under construction, the new bridge, the cultivation base of Jatropha curcas, checked the digital botanical garden. He listened to a review report on XTBG development during the second-phase of Knowledge Innovation Program and its planning for the third phase and held talks with researchers.

  President Lu said that great changes have taken place in XTBG since its accession to the Knowledge-Innovation Project and the implementation of the Ten-thousand–Plant-Species Project, and inspiring progress has been made in many aspects. He is confident with the development future of the Garden.

  Prof. Lu urged the scientists and administrators of XTBG to make careful studies on our research priorities and strategies for the future development, especially for building a leading botanical garden in the world. He also encouraged the scientists here to make innovative contributions to the local development in light of national strategic demands and world science development.