Chinese botanists have set up the world's only golden camellia gene bank in the Golden Camellia Nature Reserve in Fangchenggang City, Guangxi, Xinhua News Agency has reported recently. This marks the culmination of nearly four-year's work of selective propagation and seed harvesting.

Huang Fuping is an engineer with the nature reserve. He advises that so far they have introduced 23 species and five variant types of the golden camellia. The gene bank will have a significant impact on environmental research and preservation worldwide as well as on the commercial exploitation of the golden camellia.

As the only species in the camellia family with golden petals, the golden camellia carries genes that are of particular value not only in scientific research but also in camellia cultivation and horticulture.

Held in high regard as the "Empress of the camellia family," this is an ancient plant with a narrow distribution. It is difficult to propagate and so is treasured as the "giant panda of the plant world."

At present there are 32 species and 7 variant types of golden camellias known in the world. Guangxi has 28 species and all 7 variant types. Of these, 27 species and all 7 variant types are unique to the province.

In the south and southwest of Guangxi, the southern fringe of the sub-tropical zone meets the northern fringe of the tropical zone. It is here in a tropical monsoon climate that we find the home of the golden camellia.

The golden camellia became known to the world at large only in 1960. Since then people have tried to obtain the rare plant by unscrupulous means so threatening damage to this important natural resource.

Located in Fangcheng district of Fangchenggang City and covering an area of 9,915 hectares (24,500 acres), the Guangxi Golden Camellia Nature Reserve is the world's only nature reserve for the golden-camellia. The reserve has 27,300 Dongxing golden camellias which are found nowhere else in the world.

(china.org.cn by Wang Qian August 5, 2002)