The Nanjing Botanical Garden Memorial Sun Yat-Sen , established in 1929, became the first national botanical garden

Botanical garden

A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...

 in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. The original name, 'Botanical Garden Memorial Sun Yat-Sen', commemorated Dr. Sun Yat-Sen

Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...

, the pioneer of Chinese democratic revolution. In 1954, it was renamed as Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...

. It is one of four major botanical gardens in China. The botanical garden is also known as Zhongshan Botanical Gardens after the spelling of its name in pinyin.

Location

Located in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing

Nanjing

' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...

, China, with the Purple Mountain behind and the Qian Lake in front, the garden lies beside the ancient city wall of Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

 nearby the famous Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is situated at the foot of the second peak of Mount Zijin in Nanjing, China. Construction of the tomb started in January 1926 and was finished in spring of 1929. The architect was Lu Yanzhi, who died shortly after it was finished.- History :Dr...

. The gardens cover 1.86 square kilometers (186 ha). With luxuriant vegetation, lawns, hills and lakes, Nanjing Botanical Garden is a center for botanical research and science education, as well as a popular recreational attraction.

Collection

As a research center on central and northern subtropical floras of China, the garden has a living collection of about 3,000 species belonging to 913 genera of 188 families. The Herbarium holds 700,000 sheets of botanical specimens. There are five research departments: Ornamental Plant Research Center, Medicinal Plant Research Center, Plant Information Center, Key Laboratory of Plant Ex-situ Conservation of Jiangsu Province and the Herbarium. Ten featured gardens (sections) have been constructed and opened.

Nanjing Botanical Garden has set up an exchange program of seeds, plants, specimens and books with over six hundred organizations of more than sixty countries worldwide. The sister relationship of botanical gardens was established with the Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist.-History:...

, USA, which is the first of its type in China. Friendly relationships with the UBC Botanical Garden

UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research

UBC Botanical Garden, at the University of British Columbia, was established in 1916 under the directorship of John Davidson, British Columbia's first provincial botanist. It is the oldest botanical garden at a university in Canada....

, Canada and the Botanical Garden, University of Tokyo

University of Tokyo

, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...

, Japan have been set up. The garden is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Threatened Plant Committee and Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Botanic Gardens Conservation International is a plant conservation charity based in London, England. It is a membership organisation, working with 800 botanic gardens in 118 countries, whose combined work forms the world's largest plant conservation network.Founded in 1987, BGCI is a registered...

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External links

• Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen
• Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences(Professional version)
• Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen
• Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen
• Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences(Professional version)