A national botanical garden is expected to be established by 2020 after the merger of two botanical gardens in the nation's capital.

The national garden, slated to cover more than 466 hectares, is set to include the Beijing Botanical Garden and the Botanical Garden, which is affiliated to the Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The national botanical garden, to be created in northwest Beijing, will become a new city landmark, Beijing Botanical Garden head Zhang Zuoshuang was quoted by the Beijing Star Daily as saying.

He said detailed plans are being put together and a project budget is being considered.

By 2008, the national garden will have initially taken shape. It is scheduled to be fully completed in 2020.

The CAS's botanical garden boasts a large number of botanical researchers, advanced research facilities and Asia's largest botanical sample garden with more than 2.4 million samples.

But it only covers 66 hectares and attracts a very small number of visitors, according to a source with the garden surnamed Zhang.

Conversely, Zhang Zuoshuang said the Beijing Botanical Garden covers 400 hectares and gets more than 2 million visitors each year.

Since the garden was opened to the public in 1987, 500 million yuan (US$60 million) has been invested in its construction, he said.

One of the important sites in the garden is an exhibition green house of tropical and subtropical plants, which is Asia's largest.

But Zhang Zuoshuang said the garden is weak in scientific research, meaning it is not able to become a national botanical garden.

Both Zhangs expect that the merger will make full use of the respective advantages of the gardens.

In December, 11 CAS members and the Chinese Academy of Engineering jointly wrote a letter to President Hu Jintao proposing the creation of the national botanical garden. Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao replied to the proposal by asking relevant departments to look into the idea.

(China Daily February 23, 2004)