The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is located in Menglun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. As a directly affiliated institution of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it serves as a comprehensive research institute and scenic area integrating scientific research, species conservation, and popular science education.
Led by the renowned Chinese botanist Mr. Cai Xitao, the garden was established in 1959. Covering an area of approximately 1,125 hectares, it collects over 14,000 species of living plants and features 39 specialized plant zones. The garden also preserves a patch of primary tropical rainforest spanning about 250 square kilometers. It stands as the largest botanical garden in China in terms of area, species collection, and the number of specialized zones. Furthermore, it holds the record for the highest number of plant species preserved outdoors and the most plant groups displayed to the public worldwide, marking a historic contribution by Mr. Cai Xitao.
As of August 2025, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden has been honored with numerous titles, including "National Environmental Protection Popular Science Base," "National Science Popularization Education Base," "National Youth Science and Technology Education Base," "National AAAAA Tourist Attraction," "National Study Travel Demonstration Education Base," "Top Ten Science and Technology Tourism Bases in China," "National Civilized Unit," "National Greening Advanced Collective," and "Yunnan Province Premium Popular Science Base." On April 25, 2026, news broke that a Amorphophallus gigas (Titan Arum) in the garden entered its flowering period, marking the first recorded bloom of this species in China.