2012 INBAR Bamboo Tour

2012 INBAR Bamboo Tour
19-30 June 2012, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Guangdong, China

http://www.inbar.int/show.asp?BoardID=171&NewsID=798

In cooperation with the International Center for Research on Agro-Forestry (ICRAF), INBAR organized 2005 Bamboo Study Tour in Zhejiang province of China during 10th-16th May, 2005. 20 participants from 7 countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, U.S.A, Vietnam and Thailand) joined the study tour and witnessed the achievements of Chinese bamboo development over the last 30 years.
As request of UNIDO, INBAR organized 2007 bamboo study tour 15-24 April in Zhejiang and Sichuang provinces of China. There were 18 participants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Australia, Malaysia, India and Netherlands, including Mr. Ahmed Nassir, the State Minister of Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, Director General of Ethiopia Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency, Permanent Sectary of Kenya Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource, Director of Kenya Forest Research Institute and Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General of INBAR.
3-7 Nov, 2007 INBAR organized also a bamboo tour in Zhejiang province for 4 ministers of INBAR member countries, CFC official and diplomats.
2008 Bamboo Tour had 14 participants from Australia, Ethiopia, Laos, Mexico, Kenya, Uganda, and the USA. The director of Kenya Forest Service joined the tour.
22 participants from 11 countries (Brazil, Britain, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines and the U.S.A.) joined 2009 Bamboo Tour.
October of 2009, tour for chair and board members of INBAR was also organized to Zhejiang and Huangshan.
2010 Bamboo tour between 19-29 May attracts Our 27 participants from 12 countries, among which there was a Thai group consisting 11 members, the rest 16 friends came from Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia, Jamaica, Belize, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, France, Mauritius. They were curious for everything that caught their eyes, a barrage of “wow, what’s that” always echoed each other the moment they got on the bus. The 10-day trip covered 6 cities/counties. They were Shanghai, An’ji County, Lin’an County, Suichang County, Hangzhou city in Zhejiang Province, Chengdu in Sichuan Province. The trip was not only a stage for bamboo knowledge communication but also a way to promote the understanding of Chinese life style.
2011 INBAR Bamboo Tour was organized again from 19 to 30 June. 26 People from 10 countries participated in this tour, including Ethiopia, Malaysia, Brazil, German, South Africa, USA, Cameron, Britain, Vietnam, China. They come from different organization and companies related to bamboo. The tour group visited Hangzhou, Suichang, Lin’an, Anji, Qingshen, Chengdu and finally Xi’an and exchanged different bamboo experiences with local companies and families, from cultivation to various bamboo products production.
2011 Bamboo Industrial Tour was organized 20-26 November with 21 participants from Thai, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Philippines, Netherlands, Belgium, Kenya, USA, Italy for visiting Hangzhou, Anji, Lin’an and Suichang.
The objective of the annual bamboo study tours is to share the experience of Chinese bamboo development and to promote bamboo development in other countries.
The bamboo study tours have attracted many attentions; hence we will organize the 2012 Bamboo Tour to China 19-30 June to visit Zhejiang, Sichuan and Guangdong province. The cost in China is 2300$/person covering accommodation, food, transportation and entrance tickets in China during 19-30 June. Participants should cover their international flights and the domestic flights to Hangzhou and from Guangzhou as well as travel insurance and visa fee.

You could read the reports of 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 bamboo tours and see some photos of the tours. The itinerary will be available soon and below is the draft for the visiting.
All participants should arrive in Hangzhou airport on 19 June and depart from Guangzhou airport on 30 June.
In Zhejiang we will visit some leading bamboo flooring manufacturers like DASSO (who produced bamboo fire-proof ceiling in Madrid international airport, which won 2006 Sterlinz prize. DASSO is producing bamboo interior veneer for 70,000 BMW cars per year and 45m long bamboo wind turbine blade manufacturer), producer of strand woven bamboo lumber and floor), companies for bamboo concrete form and firber board, bamboo curtain and mat and bamboo shoot processing, bamboo extract like flavonoid, bamboo beer), Wenzhao, the biggest bamboo charcoal company(charcoal and vinegar) and the only China Bamboo Charcoal Museum in the world, some primitive processing workshops(bamboo strips) on community level, companies for bamboo furniture, bamboo processing machine and Anji bamboo product market(hundreds bamboo products including bamboo clothes). We will also visit the biggest bamboo botanic garden in the world, Anji Bamboo Garden, which has more than 300 bamboo species plus 4 giant pandas, and Chinese Bamboo Museum in this garden; High-yield bamboo plantation, bamboo film production base (Hidden the Dragon and Crouch the Tiger, Banquet etc)and eco-tourism sites, ornamental bamboo nursery. We will visit some bamboo research institutions like Zhejiang Agro-Forestry University (visiting bamboo products showroom, bamboo charcoal, bamboo tissue culture lab). We try to dialogues with local politicians and experts on bamboo sector policies and technology, which encourage the enterprisers to invest in other bamboo production countries like Africa, Asia and America etc. We may help participants find suitable bamboo processing machine manufacturers (Strand woven bamboo, bamboo floor, charcoal briquette etc).
In Sichuan province, we will visit Wangjiang bamboo park (near 200 tropical bamboo species), Living Water Park(which shows waste water treatment by plants and biotechnology and won UNEP award), Chengdu Giant Panda Center(more than 100 pandas!), world famous Dujiangyan irrigation system, 2008 Earthquake Museum, INBAR bamboo handicrafts training base and China Bamboo Weaving Museum in Qingshen.

In Guangdong province, we will visit a bamboo museum, tropical bamboo plantation, tropical Bamboo processing etc and famous Lankun Bamboo Ecotourism hotel and South China botanic garden(including collection of many tropical bamboos).
Tentative schedule
19 June arrive in Hangzhou
20 June Hangzhou city-Suichang county of Zhejiang province
22 June Suichang county-Lin’an county
23 June Lin’an county-Anji county
24 June in Anji county
25 June Anji county-Hangzhou city-Chengdu city of Sichuan province
26-27 June Sichuan province
28-29 June Guangdong province
30 June departure from Guangzhou, Guangdong province
Please download the registration form and payment form here 2012 tour form and payment.doc .
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Li Xin and Dr. Fu Jinhe, INBAR
E-mail: xli@inbar.int and jfu@inbar.int