2nd Chinese International Cactus and Succulent Conference

[ralphrmartin]

I'm now in Zhangzhou (near Xiamen), attending the 2nd Chinese International Cactus and Succulent Conference.

There is a large contingent from the German Society (DKG), who signed a formal cooperation agreement with the Chinese Cactus Union.

The event is mainly taking place at the Cactus Kingdom, which includes the largest outdoor planting of C&S in Asia, as well as an indoor display house. After extensions are completed, it aims to be the largest cactus garden in the world.

There is an associated plant nursery, and the Chinese Cactus Union also held a competitive show, after which some of the plants were auctioned off with bids from in the room and online, many reaching over £200.

There are many excellent talks, mainly by DKG members, and I will give one myself later in the week.

Here are a few photos to whet your appetite; the net is too slow here to upload many more, but I hope to turn my experiences of the meeting into a slide talk which I can give at BCSS branches.

[Patrick]

Fascinating Ralph, my partner is on a flight to china at this moment but has other interests unfortunately

[MatDz]

A busy Easter holiday for you, Ralph!

Would you be able to link to the conference website or perhaps the Cactus Kingdom you mentioned on Google maps? My Google-fu failed me completely with both...

[ralphrmartin]

The conference is being held just outside Zhangzhou city, near Xiamen. I'll try and get a more precise location later...

I'm not aware of a website.

[Tony R]

A busy Easter holiday for you, Ralph!

Would you be able to link to the conference website or perhaps the Cactus Kingdom you mentioned on Google maps? My Google-fu failed me completely with both...

Mat,
If you use the GPS data (Lat. Long.) from Ralph's photos in Google Maps then you can find his locations:

[MatDz]

Thank you Tony, I did not think about stalking Ralph so much!

I am still rather surprised that such an "international" event doesn't have a proper website.

[ralphrmartin]

It is basically for the members of the Chinese Cactus Union, as far as I can tell, and their invited guests. The DKG have signed a cooperation agreement with them, and are giving most of the talks. The Chinese Cactus Union have also asked the BCSS for such an agreement, but it has been with the BCSS BoT for a long time now. There are also people from Korea, Japan and Thailand, and Joel Lodé and Ronald Fonteyne (ELK Chairman), here too.

We have also been on many nursery visits, and seen an amazing variety of plants. Some, like e.g. Euphorbia abdelkuri and agaves grow well enough by themselves. Many cacti especially Ariocarpus, are grown as grafts for a few years then degrafted. It is very easy to propagate stuff here in Fujian province from cuttings, and grow it from seed, and I have seen no evidence of wild collected plants. There are plenty of variegated and "special forms". Nothing has a name label though.

[ralphrmartin]

For any BCSS branches not too far away, looking for a speaker next year, I am putting together a talk of what I saw in China while at the conference. Hopefully it will be added to the speaker's list, but feel free to contact my directly otherwise....

[MatDz]

For any BCSS branches not too far away [...]

Edinburgh is only a stone throw away, isn't it? Maybe more in a Highland games style, but still only a throw!

[ralphrmartin]

I could perhaps be talked into visiting Scotland, especially if a few branches could set up a mini-tour of some sort....