The orchid is one of the most unique and instantly recognizable flowers in the world. People have long held a fascination with orchids. Orchids are often described as the most beautiful flowers in the world. While most orchids are found in the tropics, they are distributed worldwide and can be found on every single continent except Antarctica. However, many orchid species have become a victim of their beauty, being endangered or even extinct, which calls for conservation. To raise awareness of orchid conservation, Xishaungbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) and Bangor University sponsored a collaborative project focusing on orchid conservation by using art to communicate science.
   An art exhibition named “Beauty of Orchids” will be held from July 2 -10 at XTBG.  Ms. Isik Guner, a botanical artist from Turkey, together with Ms. Yan Lan of China and Mr. He Ruihua of XTBG, will use the power of art to reach a wide audience; engaging emotions and encouraging mindful purchasing of orchids.
   Using a combination of different styles of art, the artists will be developing an exhibit of the orchid species threatened by over collection. The exhibition will include scientific watercolor illustrations and traditional “Gongbi” Chinese art. A gallery of 40 art works on orchids will be on display.
  The exhibition was a result of a project of Dr. Sophie Williams supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.

  The timetable for the exhibition is as following:
July 2-10  Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS
July 16-24  Wuhan Botanical Garden, CAS
July 30- August 7 South China Botanical Garden, CAS
August 13-21 Xiamen Botanical Garden
August 27 –Sep. 4 Beijing Botanical Garden