Prof. LU Yongxiang, the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and president of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), made a special inspection of South China Botanical Garden (SCBG) and gave an important speech on December 19, 2009. Dr. HUANG Hongwen, director of SCBG, and Dr. REN Hai, Mr. WEI Ping, and Dr. FU Shenglei, deputy directors of SCBG, the principal investigators of all research fields and other administrators warmly greeted Prof. Lu and his visiting group.

The meeting spot　　　　　　　　　　　　

A symposium was first held. Dr. Huang presented Prof. Lu a progress report on SCBG for the year 2009, which contains the following aspects: research progress and outputs, China's Strategy for Plant Conservation (in-situ and ex-situ), popular science and tourism development, capacity of research facilities and platform construction, and International cooperation and exchange. He also showed SCBG's international strategic review for 2010-2020, talent introduction of "Thousands of Talents Plan" and 80th anniversary celebration, and highlighted the next work plans.

Dr. Huang Hongwen gives a progress report on SCBG for the year 2009

Prof. Lu gave a high appraisal to good performances of SCBG in facing national strategic requirements and global scientific and technological frontier, scientific and technological innovation, structural reform, talent cultivation, science propagation, infrastructure construction, innovation culture, and so on. During the last five years, SCBG brought all aspects of the work to a new level.

Prof. Lu Yongxiang（middle）listens to the report

Prof. Lu pointed out that the main works will focus on in the future: (1) extending the living collections and ex-situ conservation of important species (having high exploition and utilization value) in tropical and subtropical regions; (2) transferring works into research, selection and utilization of germplasm resources, and exploiting these resources for the development of economy and society; and (3) conducting strategic review and designs for the future development, and combining it well with the development plan of CAS, Guangdong province, Guangzhou city and the national Twelfth Five-Year Plan.

Prof. Lu and visiting group visit plant aquarium

Prof. Lu (middle) visits the tropical rainforest greenhouse

After the symposium, Prof. Lu enthusiastically visited the Conservatory-Greenhouses, including tropical rainforest greenhouse, rare and endemic greenhouse, and plant aquarium. He highly praised the construction of the tropical greenhouse complex. Lastly, Prof. Lu planted a ficus plant (Ficus altissima) in the lawn square in the front of the greenhouse scene site.

Prof. Lu (middle) plants a ficus plant (Ficus altissima)

The main personnel accompanying Lu's inspection contained Mr. DENG Maicun, deputy secretary-general and director of the general office of CAS, Prof. PAN Jiaofeng, director of Bureau of Planning & Strategy of CAS, Dr. ZHANG Zhibin, director of Bureau of Life Sciences and Biotechnology of CAS, Mr. LONG Jian'an, vice chairman of Guangzhou People's Congress, ZHENG Hong, vice secretary of Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, Dr. CHEN Yong, deputy secretary-general of People's Government of Guangdong Province and chairman of Guangzhou Branch of CAS and other leaders.