Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden rated national 3A scenic spot

Aerial view of the Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden [Photo by Su Xiaojie/Hainan Daily]

The Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden was recently qualified as a State-level 3A tourist attraction by the Hainan Provincial Tourism Resource Planning and Development Quality Assurance Agency.

Founded in 1958, the botanical garden is located in Hainan's Danzhou city covering over 100 hectares. It belongs to the Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute (TCGRI) of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences (CATAS). Not only a scenic spot, it is also a comprehensive research institution integrating scientific research, species preservation and science education.

After nearly 60 years of development, the Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden has had 2,600 kinds of tropical and subtropical plants from over 40 countries, including over 50 kinds of endangered plants under national protection, over 750 kinds of tropical flowers and 1,000 kinds of medicinal resources.

There are eight core attraction areas in the park: an Aquatic Plant Area, a Bamboo Area, a Medicinal Plant Area, a Spice Area, an Economic Plant Area, an Ornamental Plant Area, a Tropical Fruit Area and a Palm Area. Visitors can enjoy a variety of exotic plants in the garden, such as Antiaris, one of the world's most toxic trees, and a magic fruit that can change taste named Synsepalum dulcificm.