Events

　　Beijing, March 3, 2026 — To thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and faithfully fulfill the obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the 2026 World Wildlife Day joint special exhibition by Chinese botanical gardens opened today at the National Botanical Garden. Coinciding with the joyful Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month and the 13th "World Wildlife Day," the exhibition is themed "Fragrant of China: Safeguarding Health, Heritage and Livelihoods." It represents not only an active response to the global theme but also a vivid practice of China's advancement of the "Healthy China" initiative and strengthened biodiversity conservation.

　　The exhibition closely aligns with the 2026 global theme of World Wildlife Day "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Safeguarding Health, Heritage and Livelihoods" and the China theme "Protecting Wild Plants to Create a Healthy Future." Through the deep integration of scientific research and science popularization, it systematically reviews and showcases breakthrough progress China has made in areas including background surveys of medicinal and aromatic plant resources, research on endangerment mechanisms, and ex situ conservation. Through vivid illustrations and living specimens, the exhibition tells the story of the thousands of years of symbiosis between wild plants and Chinese civilization.

　　This event is jointly organized by the Endangered Species Scientific Commission of People’s Republic of China (ESSC), the Endangered Species Import and Export Management Office, the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Initiative for Collective Conservation in Chinese Botanical Gardens(ICCBG), and the Working Group on Botanical Gardens of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. ESSC mobilized top domestic botanists and ecologists to participate in the entire exhibition planning process, rigorously reviewing every data point and photograph to ensure scientific accuracy and authority, truly realizing the concept of "scientists engaging in science communication."

　　The main venue, located in the Exhibition Greenhouse of the South Garden of the National Botanical Garden, features rare and endangered medicinal aromatic plant specimens. Visitors can observe species up close while exploring the latest advances in endangerment mechanisms and conservation breakthroughs through complementary displays. Special interactive zones, including immersive "Smell and Identify Medicinal Plants" experiences, make scientific knowledge accessible and engaging, offering a spring festival enriched with scientific depth and cultural charm. Other venues also host public-friendly activities, ensuring the exhibition balances scientific rigor with humanistic warmth.

　　The special exhibition runs through the Lantern Festival period, adding a unique herbal fragrance to the festival. The 14 botanical gardens participating in the joint exhibition, as backbone forces of the Chinese Academy of Sciences botanical garden system, are working together with the National Botanical Garden, the South China National Botanical Garden and others to weave a comprehensive national botanical garden conservation network covering China's major climate zones. Standing at this new stage of development, China's plant research forces will continue to focus on national biosecurity strategic needs, seize the commanding heights of science and technology in biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization, and contribute continuous scientific and technological momentum to safeguarding plant diversity on Chinese soil and building a community of life for humanity and nature.