The South China National Botanical Garden (SCNBG) of CAS – 华南国家植物园, is one of China’s oldest botanical research institutions and located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. It was originally established in 1929 as the Institute of Agriculture and Forestry (IAF) at Sun Yat-Sen University. In 1954, the institute became affiliated with CAS and was renamed the South China Institute of Botany (SCIB). In 2003, SCIB adopted its current name, South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), and in 2022, it was elevated to South China National Botanical Garden (SCNBG) as one of the first two National Botanical Gardens approved by the State Council of China. During its SCIB era, China’s first national nature reserve, Dinghushan National Nature Reserve, was established in 1956.
SCNBG is one of the largest comprehensive botanical gardens and a leading institution for plant germplasm conservation in China. It comprises three main divisions:
- Display zone:
Occupying 282.5 hectares, the display zone focuses on plant ex-situ conservation. It hosts approximately 17,502 taxa across 38 themed gardens, including the Magnolia Garden, Ginger Garden, and Orchid Garden. The Longdong Qilin Scenic Spot and the conservatory group are notable highlights. - Research zone:
Covering 36.8 hectares, the research zone includes the Plant Science Center, Ecology & Environmental Science Research Center, and Agriculture & Biotechnology Research Center. It features a herbarium with over 1.15 million plant specimens, a library, the editorial office of the Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany, an information center, and a public laboratory certified by both CMA and CNAS. These resources support research within SCNBG and other institutions domestically and internationally. - Dinghushan National Nature Reserve:
Spanning 1,133 hectares, Dinghushan National Nature Reserve is the first national nature reserve in China and the only one affiliated with CAS. It conserves over 2,291 plant species in situ.
SCNBG is further supported by field stations and laboratories, including:
- Two national/CERN field stations (Dinghushan Station and Heshan Station)
- One CAS/provincial field station (Xiaoliang Station) and one provincial field station
- Three CAS key laboratories: plant resource conservation and sustainable utilization; vegetation restoration and management of degraded ecosystems; molecular analysis and genetic improvement of agricultural plants in South China
- One CAS engineering laboratory for ecosystem restoration on islands and coastal zones
- Two key laboratories of Guangdong Province: digital botanical garden and applied botany
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for the development of characteristic plant resources
Additional facilities include the Guangdong Provincial Germplasm Resource Bank and the South China Plant Identification Center.
More information (in Chinese): https://www.scbg.ac.cn
