From July 15-30, a scientific investigation team, led by professor HUANG Hongwen, the director of South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), and including professor XIA Nianhe, and senior engineers of JIANG Houquan and WEI Qiang from SCBG, visited Vietnam for investigation and collection of plant resources, and held talks with with the relevant departments and scientific research institutions.

During the period of visiting Vietnam, the research team firstly visited the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, and then Vietnam Academy of Forestry forest, Forest Inventory and Planning Institute of Vietnam and Forestry University of Vietnam; and held forums with them, respectively. Some coincident ideas for future cooperation were reached, including: (1) assisting in establishing a national botanic garden in Hanoi with the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development; (2) co-constructing a field research station on biodiversity and having joint field investigation with Vietnam Academy of Forestry; (3) having cooperative research on Vietnamese biodiversity with Forest Inventory and Planning Institute of Vietnam. On July 24, Mr. Hua Duc Nhi, the vice minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam, met Huang and his team and held a friendly talk.

The investigation team passed through the southern Vietnam (e.g. Bidup-Nuiba National Park in Lam Dong province, the Nature Reserve of Nha Trang province), central Vietnam (e.g. Cuc Phuong Natinal Park, the first national park in Vietnam), and northern and north-western Vietnam (including the provinces of Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien Phu, Sonla). The whole itinerary was more than 6000 km. In this investigation, the team got a plenty of comprehensive information on the distribution and conservation status of plant biodiversity in Vietnam, and brought back more than 200 important plant materials, including reproductive materials (e.g. tubers, and rhizomes, branches and seedlings) and some DNA materials. These scientists made a great contribution to SCBG's plant introduction, ex situ conservation, and international exchange and cooperation.