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Looking back over XTBG's tumultuous but steadfast development Longing for a greater adventure with a harmonious and unified effort
Updated: 2009-07-10 14:11 50 years ago, Mr. Cai Xitao headed up a batch of hot-blooded youngsters into this gourd-shaped Peninsula under dense tropical forest, crossing the Luosuo River by canoes. They unfolded a magnificent history of creating XTBG. After 50 years’ development, XTBG has become a world-renowned tropical botanical garden. With rich plant species and beautiful landscapes, it is an integrated base for research on tropical botany, forest ecology, plant germplasm preservation and public science education. Today, we gather together at this grand celebration to memorize the predecessors who endured great hardships in creating the Garden, to yearn for a better and brighter future. It is also an encouragement for us XTBG younger generations to carry forward the cause and forge ahead into the future. I. Development History Full of Hardships and Miracles In October 1962, poet Yuan Shuipai has ever written a poem when visiting here, to describe the achievements made by XTBG predecessors in such a short period of time since 1959. In May 1958, Prof. Cai Xitao led an 8-person group to Xiaojie, Damenglong, 46 kilometers far away from Jinghong, capital city of Xishuangbanna, to start the pioneering work of creating this tropical botanical garden. Located near the border, Xiaojie was vulnerable to disruption and destruction by the remaining forces of KMT. In August, Prof. Cai Xitao submitted a report to apply for reselecting the site of the botanical garden. Through careful comparison and selection, XTBG was finally decided to be set up on the gourd-shaped Peninsula in the Menglun Township, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
 XTBG is surrounded by Luosuo River, a tributary of Lancang-Mekong River. When Prof. Cai Xitao led the first batch of pioneers to founding the Garden on this peninsula, here was a desolated island, with only a Dai ethnic village of 6 households on the riverside. In addition, it was known as a “village of leprosy” for taking in a woman suffering from the disease of leprosy. At that time, the Garden was mostly occupied by noxious insects and beasts. Swarms of leeches, ants, and lice further made it like a place of exile. The first batch of pioneers consisted of 10 more expeditioners and about 30 staffs recruited from local. The creation of the Garden was themed around “comprehensively researching on economic plants, plant community ecology and plant cultivation, exploring growth characteristics of tropical plant resources, developing tropical plant science, and serving for the development of Chinese tropics.”
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