South China's Guangdong province leads the country in the number of botanical gardens, with 15,026 species of higher plants conserved through ex situ preservation. Of these, 662 are national key protected wild plants, accounting for roughly 60 percent of the national total, the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province announced on May 14.

Under the "Green and Beautiful Guangdong" ecological development initiative, the province is building a three-tier ex situ plant conservation system covering national, regional and native levels. Fourteen botanical gardens are currently in operation across Guangdong, while 35 arboretums and field gene banks are undergoing transformation and upgrading. Meanwhile, nine regional botanical gardens and 32 native botanical gardens are being laid out. The South China National Botanical Garden conserves more than 20,000 plant species, and the Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden boasts the world's largest collection of cycadales.

Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Luohu district, Shenzhen. [Photo provided to en.gdfao.gov.cn/]

Botanical gardens in Guangdong have developed into comprehensive platforms integrating environmental protection, cultural communication and public services. In 2025, botanical gardens across the province received over 32.93 million visitors and held 4,166 nature education activities serving 6.75 million people. Planting programs have boosted farmers'incomes, turning ecological advantages into tangible economic benefits.

Moving forward, Guangdong will advance the high-standard development of the South China National Botanical Garden, optimize the regional layout, strengthen the comprehensive utilization of plant resources, and upgrade the ecological model from individual parks to a province-wide network.