2017 was a year of fast development for Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). It made progress in scientific research, species conservation, science communication, landscape improvement, fund applications, etc. It hosted the Annual meeting 2017 of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) Asia-Pacific Chapter, hosted its annual conference, forged partnerships with many international organizations, etc. It was listed as China's Top 10 Science & Technology Tourism Base, and granted the plate of “China's best science-themed tourist destination”.

In 2017, XTBG received RMB 127 million in research funds from 86 new projects, got 246 research articles published in internationally peer-reviewed scientific journals. Many popular science activities were organized, increasing public awareness of science and conservation. A total of 2,592 species were collected in 2017.

XTBG got 34 projects financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), which is 21.43% higher than 2016. Six researchers with XTBG as their host institution applied for the Research Fund for International Young Scientists in 2017 and five of them got supported. The rate of financial support of the fund reaches 83%, which ranks 6th nationwide.

In March, XTBG hosted the ATBC-Asia 2017 Meeting. It brought together tropical biologists and conservation scientists from countries in the Asia-Pacific region. They tried to look for ways to build conservation research capacity in the Asia-Pacific region.  XTBG made joint efforts with international research institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to deal with the regional biodiversity conservation issues and secure a brighter future for the region’s biodiversity.

The Chinese Union of Botanical Gardens (CUBG) and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI）signed MoU in July. The two sides collaborated for the purposes of capacity building for botanic gardens worldwide.

In August, CAS president Bai Chunli witnessed the signing of MoU between XTBG and Biotechnology and Ecology Institute (BEI) of Lao PDR. The two sides will have deep cooperation and will collaborate to establish program office of Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute (SEABRI) in Lao PDR”.

XTBG witnessed in late May a once-in-a-decade event as the giant corpse flower bloomed. On the extremely infrequent occasion that a titan arum comes into flower, numerous visitors came to the garden to experience the site and smell of the corpse flower.

XTBG also made endeavor to bridge art and science. A lot of exhibitions have been made.

To learn more and have a better understanding on the development of XTBG over the past year, please read our Annual Report 2017.

Annual Report 2017