The 27th Conference of the China Biosphere Reserve Network (CBRN) Members and 70th Anniversary Conference of the Establishment of Dinghushan National Reserve Held in Zhaoqing
From June 30 to July 2, 2026, the 27th Conference of the China Biosphere Reserve Network (CBRN) Members and the 70th Anniversary Conference of the Establishment of Dinghushan National Nature Reserve were grandly held in Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province. The conferences were hosted by the Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme (Chinese MAB) and co-organized by the Zhaoqing Municipal People’s Government, Guangdong Provincial Forestry Bureau and South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCBG, CAS). Themed “Science and Technology Leading the Harmonious Coexistence between Humanity and Nature,” the events brought together nearly 400 delegates to Zhaoqing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dinghushan and to deliberate on the future of nature conservation.
Opening Ceremony Speech by ZHANG Yaping（Image by PENG Lifang）
The conferences reviewed and summarized the fruitful achievements of the Dinghushan Nature Reserve over the past 70 years: the area of south subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest has expanded by 70%, with the forest coverage rate maintained at 98%; a total of 368 new species have been discovered, 71 of which are named after “Dinghu” or “Dinghushan,” and the number of wild higher plant species has reached 1,950; over 3,100 academic papers have been published, earning multiple prestigious awards including the Second Prize of the National Natural Science Award; the “Dinghushan Model” of “Scientific Research & Monitoring + Nature Education + Community Co-management” has been developed, and the concept of “negative air ion” ecotourism was pioneered, leading to the designation of a national 5A-level scenic area. In 1979, Dinghushan became one of the first batch of World Biosphere Reserves in China to join UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
During the conferences, Academician ZHANG Yaping, Chair of the Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme; ZHANG Aijun, Secretary of the CPC Zhaoqing Municipal Committee; and XU Jing, Level II Inspector of the Department of Protected Area Management, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, attended and delivered opening addresses. Academician MA Keping, Professor REN Hai, and XU Xiaoxiong, Mayor of Zhaoqing, delivered keynote reports. The opening ceremony also featured an awards and certification ceremony, presenting honors including the “Dinghushan World Biosphere Reserve Outstanding Management Award” and the “Green Guardian Award.” Delegates conducted field visits to the Dinghushan Nature Reserve and the Xinghu National Wetland Park, and engaged in expert forums and parallel sub-forum discussions on frontier topics such as biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration.
Opening Ceremony Speech by YANG Ziyin（Image by PENG Lifang）
Plenary speech by REN Hai（Image by PENG Lifang）
At the closing ceremony on July 2, two landmark outcomes were officially released: first, the “Zhaoqing Initiative: Science and Technology Leading the Harmonious Coexistence between Humanity and Nature,” which calls for empowering ecological conservation with science and technology and jointly building a beautiful homeland of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature; second, the “Dinghushan Ecological Civilization Demonstration Cases,” which systematically summarizes Dinghushan’s mature practices in scientific research and monitoring, community collaboration, science popularization and education, and smart management, providing a replicable practical model for protected areas across the country. The conference also announced that the 28th Conference of the China Biosphere Reserve Network Members will be hosted by the Bogda World Biosphere Reserve in Xinjiang.
Exhibition Area（Image by PENG Lifang）
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