China and Uzbekistan launched a joint Global Allium Garden (Kunming Center) on November 22, 2017, at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (KIB). Co-constructed by KIB and the Institute of Botany, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, the Garden is the world’s first Allium garden and is supposed to collect, conserve and exhibit over 90% Allium of world.

The Global Allium Garden (Kunming Center) will be composed of two centers, namely the Kunming Center and Toshkent Center. Located in Kunming Botanical Garden, KIB, it covers an area of 3,700 square meters (5.5 acres) and is designed in line with circumstances to create a natural type landscape.

The garden (Kunming Center) is divided into the native species conservation area and flower border viewing area, while the latter is subdivided into three sectors based on the different use of Allium as edible, ornamental or medicinal plants. It will act as a supporting platform for Allium research, utilization and public education.

At the ceremony, representatives of relevant authorities and S&T organizations from both China and Uzbekistan inspected the pre-construction work as well as the planning layout of the Garden.

"The launching of the China-Uzbekistan Global Allium Garden (Kunming Center) is a great example that strengthens relationship among countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative," said Prof. SUN Hang, the director of KIB. Since the first MoU between the two parties signed in 2013, KIB has built strong partnership with the Institute of Botany, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences.

CAO Jinghua, the director of Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS said: "Science and innovation not only holds the promise of solutions to complex scientific challenges in the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, but can also be of significant value to the upgrading of the capacity and quality of cooperation between China and other countries. I believe the China-Uzbekistan Global Allium Garden (Kunming Center) will show the great effort for construction of the Belt and Road Initiative."

"Allium, which has been long-standing and widely used worldwide, is an important economic plant distributed in China as well as in Central Asia along the Belt and Road countries and regions. The construction of China-Uzbekistan Global Allium Garden (Kunming Center) is one of the example the Belt and Road platform to promote innovation and international collaboration between China and Uzbekistan," said Dr. Tojibave Komiljon, director of Institute of Botany, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences.

The genus Allium (Liliaceae) contains hundreds of species, including the cultivated onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, and chives, many of them have the smell of garlic and are economically important as crops, medicinal or ornamental plants. The majority of over 500 Allium species are native to the Northern Hemisphere, while a few species are distribute in tropical and subtropical regions.

There are more than 100 Allium species (nearly 50% of which are endemic to China) that are mainly distributed in northwestern, southwestern and northeastern China. Uzbekistan is also an important origin and diversification center of Allium, which owns rich germplasm resources.

Up to now, over 100 Allium species have been introduced and bred in the China-Uzbekistan Allium Germplasm Nursery. The planning layout called for the conservation and breeding of at least 200 Allium species to be completed during the first phase of construction.

CAO Jinghua & Komiljon TOJIBAEV unveil the plaque for the China-Uzbekistan Global Allium Garden (Kunming Center) (Image by KIB)