South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is one of the oldest botany research institutions in China. SCBG, formerly known as the Institute of Agriculture and Forestry (IAF), Sun Yat-Sen University, was founded in 1929 by renowned botanist Academician CHUN Woon-Young. In 1954, the affiliation of IAF was changed to CAS and renamed as South China Institute of Botany (SCIB), CAS. In 1956, SCIB set up the garden and China's first national nature reserve-the Dinghushan National Nature Reserve. In 2003, SCIB was renamed to its current name SCBG. In 2022, SCBG was upgraded to South China National Botanical Garden (SCNBG) as one of the first two National Botanical Gardens launched and approved by the State Council of China, and will be jointly built by the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangdong Province and the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government.

As one of the largest comprehensive gardens and one of the top plant germplasm conservation institutions in China, SCBG consists of three divisions:
1.Display zone. Covering an area of 282.5 ha, it was designed mainly for plant ex-situ conservation and open to public. So far there are about 20,379 taxa growing in 39 theme gardens including Magnolia garden, Ginger garden, Orchid garden etc. The Longdong Qilin Scenic spot and the conservatory group are two most outstanding landscapes.

2. Research zone. Covering an area of 36.8 ha, it contains 3 research centers, including Plant Science Center, Ecology & Environmental Science Research Center, and Agriculture & Biotechnology Research Center. A herbarium (IBSC) with more than 1,250,000 plant specimens, a library, the editorial office of Journal of Tropical and Subtropical Botany (in Chinese) and Biological diversity (in English) , an information center and Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities have been supporting the research of SCBG and other institutions at home and abroad.

3. Dinghushan National Nature Reserve. With an area of 1,133 ha, it is the first national nature reserve in China and the only nature reserve affiliated to CAS. Currently, over 1,948 wild plant species are in-situ conserved here.

In addition, SCBG set up field stations and laboratories to support its research and conservation, including two national/CERN(Chinese Ecosystem Research Network) field stations (Dinghushan Station and Heshan Station), one CAS/provincial field station (Xiaoliang Station) and one provincial field station(Island Station);one Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Plant Conservation and Utilization; two key laboratories of Guangdong Province (digital botanical garden, applied botany); one Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center (development of characteristic plant resources), Guangdong Provincial Germplasm Resource Bank, and South China Plant Identification Center. 

Meanwhile, SCBG is also the host of some international and local associations, including Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) China Program Office,  the World Magnolia Center, Botany Society of Guangdong province, Plant Physiology Society of Guangdong province, and Ecology Society of Guangdong Province.

Since affiliated to CAS in 1954, SCBG has made great achievements in the scientific research, which includes more than 530 monographs such as Flora of China, The Vegetation of Guangdong, Studies on the Tropical and Subtropical Degraded Ecosystem and Its Rehabilitation, Rare Plants of China, and Introduction to Restoration Ecology, Over 6,400 published SCI papers including highly prestigious journals such as Nature and Science, more than 580 authorized patents, and more than 370 granted or registered new plant varieties since 1988.

Based on those research achievements, more than 340 prizes have been awarded at various levels, such as the first prize in China's State Natural Science Award and China's State Scientific and Technological Invention Award, and "Top Ten Basic Research News in China" in 2000 and 2006, respectively.

SCBG would not have made so many achievements without talents. By the end of 2024, SCBG has 400 staff members (64 professors and 92 associate professors) and 106 postdoctoral staff, which includes various talents, 8 recipients of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and National Outstanding Youth Science Foundation(including abroad), 3 recipients of National "Hundred and Ten Thousand Talents Project", 8 distinguished young scholars (including overseas) of National Science Fund, and 9 outstanding members of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the CAS.

SCBG has paid special attention to the cultivation of the talents in relevant fields. It is one of the first batch of Master’s degree training units approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. At present, there are 5 authorized Doctor degree disciplines (botany, biochemistry & molecular biology, genetics, ecology，horticulture), 9 authorized Master degree disciplines (botany, biochemistry & molecular biology, genetics, ecology, ornamental plants & horticulture, wildlife conservation & utilization, biological & medicinal chemistry, biology & medicine, Biology and Medicine, Resources & Environment), 2 postdoctoral research station of first-level disciplines (biology, ecology). Responsible for the construction of the College of Modern Agricultural Sciences (Guangzhou), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , and the disciplines of horticulture and forestry.

By the end of 2024, there are 453 enrolled graduate canditates (302 Master candidates and 151 Doctoral candidates). A great number of awards and honors have been achieved by students each year, including National Excellent PhD Dissertations (2 dissertations) and CAS Excellent PhD Dissertations (7 dissertations).

As a National AAAA Tourist Attraction, SCBG receives over 2.4 million visitors per year in 2023 and 2024. SCBG has paid great attention to knowledge dissemination and science popularization education. In 1997, SCBG built the first popular science education base in China, "Guangdong Botany Science Popularization Base" was jointly built with the Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology; 39 science popularization bases have been built, including "National Science Popularization Education Base" "National Scientist Spirit Base" "National Practice Education Base for Primary and Secondary School Students" "National Science Popularization Base for Scientific Research" and "National Forest and Grassland Science Popularization Base"; In 2002, completed "Pugang Natural Education Path", it was the first natural education path in Mainland China. Besides, SCBG held various  education courses and activities throughout the year, including "Qilin Science Forum" and flower display etc. Dinghushan Nature Reserve built "see Dinghushan" education museum and nature education path, launched exploratory nature education courses such as "natural forest" and "young citizen scientist",and attracted more than 2.7 million visitors in 2024. SCBG was awarded as National Advanced Collective for Science Popularization, National Science Popularization Day exemplary organization, Chinese Academy of Sciences exemplary organization for Science Communication etc. SCBG was voted twice as the best botanical garden in 2019 and 2022.

The mission of SCBG in 2021-2025: to position itself in South China, devoted to plant conservation, scientific research and knowledge dissemination of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, to build into a high-level research institution in botany, ecology, agricultural science, key technologies for plant resource conservation and utilization, as well as to lead the development of the national botanical garden system in China, so as to provide scientific and technological support for the green development of China.