Recently, "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China" which is located in our institute established by Guilin Botanical Garden and The Gesneriad Society (Seattle, USA)", established three branches, respectively located at in Shenzhen Fairylake Botanical Garden (CAS), Guizhou Botanical Garden and Anhui University.

 The branded Ceremony as "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Guizhou)" was held in Guizhou Botanical Garden on 19^th April, 2017. The party secretary of Guizhou Botanical Garden, Qi Yan-Qiang, hosted this Ceremony, and the director of Guizhou Botanical Garden, Prof. Zhou Qing gave the welcoming remarks. Prof. Wei Yi-Gang, the Deputy director of Guilin Botanical Garden and Dr. Wen Fang, the director of GCCC, on behalf of Guilin Botanical Garden and Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC), and Mr. Stephen Maciejewski, from the Gesneriad Society, and Mr. Winston Goretsky, from African Violet Society, and the foreign delegation (total seven people) attended the branded Ceremony. Professor Zhang Hong-Liang, Deputy Director of the Guizhou Academy of Sciences met with all the guests at the branded Ceremony.

Fig. 1 Prof. Wei Yi-Gang, Deputy Director of Guilin Botanical Garden (left ) and Prof. Zhou Qing, Director of Guizhou Botanical Garden (right ) attended the branded Ceremony of GCCC (Guizhou)

Fig. 2 "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Guizhou)", settled down in Guizhou Botanical Garden

  Soon afterwards, "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Eastern China)," the branded Ceremony was held in College of Life Science, Anhui University on 28^th April, 2017. Dr. Wen Fang on behalf of "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC)" and the delegation (total six people) of the Gesneriad Society attended the branded Ceremony. This ceremony presided over by Prof. Chen Yan, Deputy Director of the college of life science of Anhui University, another Deputy Director of the college of life science of Anhui University, Prof. Zhang Bao-Wei and teachers and students of the College of Life Science, Anhui University, attended the relevant activities.

Fig. 3 "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Eastern China)," the branded Ceremony

         Then, "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Shenzhen)" approved and Gesneriaceae plants branch of Shenzhen Plants Association established ceremony was held in Fairylake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences on May 5^th 2017. Professor Zhang Shou-Zhou, Deputy Director of the Fairylake Botanical Garden, presided over the branded Ceremony, Director, Prof. Zhang Guo-Hong gave the welcoming remarks. He said “since the Garden was founded in 1983, we have got many conclusions in plants conservation”, and he briefed on the latest preparation of the XIX International Botanical Conference (IBC), which will host in July. He expressed warm congratulations on the "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Shenzhen)" establishment, and will fully support the cooperation of both sides. Deputy Director of Guilin Botanical Garden, Prof. Wei Yi-Gang, the representative of Guilin Botanical Garden express appreciation for the strong support of the Fairylake Botanical Garden. He said: "Guangxi Institute of Botany has a long history of more than 80 years, subordinates Guilin Botanical Garden also has been set up for nearly 60 years, Prof. Chun Woon-Young, founder of Guangxi Institute of Botany established Raphiocarpus Chun and Cathayanthe Chun in 1946, is the first generation botanist, and the earliest research on Gesneriaceae in China. We began our Chinese Gesneriaceae studies in 1993 as the fourth generation.We started out our researches from the field research of Southern China Gesneriaceae plants, successively cooperated with the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh, the University of Vienna (Austria) and other famous botanical institutes, carried on the thorough research on evolution system of Chinese Gesneriaceae plants, has made important scientific research achievements. In order to protect rare and endangered Gesneriaceae plants of China, we cooperated with the Gesneriad Society to establish the "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC)" in 2013. Since the establishment of GCCC, it has made an important contribution and play an important role for Gesneriaceae plants conservation in China, and won widespread praise, and was listed in the construction development planning of CUBG (2016-2030) (GCCC will be  supported in the next key projects of CUBG). Wei said, “Guilin Botanical Garden have always had good cooperation with the Fairylake Botanical Garden. We believe in the future in the "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC)" as the framework of cooperation, also can realize the power-and-power union, together play to their advantages, make greater contribution to Chinese Gesneriaceae plants conservation”. Mr. Stephen Maciejewski on behalf of the Gesneriad Society expressed warm congratulations for the establishment of "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Shenzhen)". 

  Mr. Stephen Maciejewski, from the Gesneriad Society, Director Dr. Wen Fang of Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (GCCC) respectively in these three branch center made academic presentation entitled "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (History)" and "the development History and the goals of Gesneriad Conservation Center of China", each branch Director (Mr. Fan Zhi-Wei, Dr. Hong Xin and Dr. Qiu Zhi-Jing) also introduced their work basis and the future development goals respectively, and has carried on the related academic exchanges.

Fig. 4 The Deputy director of Guilin Botanical Garden, Prof. Wei Yi-Gang (left ) and Director of Fairylake Botanical Garden, Prof. Zhang Guo-Hong (right ) attended the branded Ceremony of GCCC (Shenzhen)

Fig. 5 The scene of branded Ceremony of "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China (Shenzhen)" and the established ceremony of Gesneriaceae plants branch of Shenzhen Plants Association

    The establishment of three branches of "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China", namely the Shenzhen branch, Guizhou branch, and Eastern China branch, marks the opening and beginning of multi-cooperation on Chinese Gesneriaceae plants conservation and researching. Based on the agreement, within "Gesneriad Conservation Center of China" framework, each branch in the future will play their respective advantages and continue to expand the breadth and depth of cooperation in their respective regions, conservation of wild resources, scientific research, teaching, the advantages of the facilities, germplasm resources, information, results sharing. GCCC will lead all branches, unify to develop national and international cooperation and propaganda popular science education, and so on. GCCC will strive to make greater contribution to Chinese Gesneriaceae plants conservation.