The Second National Rhizoma Gastrodiae Conference 2013 was held in Beijing recently, Xiabaoping, a town in Yiling District, was granted as "National Rhizoma Gastrodiae Town". Liu Xingzhong, Chairman of the Asian Mycological Society and Chinese Mycological Society, Director of State Key Mycological Laboratory of Chinese Academy of Sciences, awarded the plaque and certification to Tian Xuefeng, Secretary of Party Committee of Xiabaoping Town.

　　The founder of artificial rhizoma gastrodiae in China, former researcher at Kunming Botany Institution of CAS, 87-year-old Professor Zhou Xuan, sent his congratulations with inscription. Some business representatives who attended this conference from Shanxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and other rhizoma gastrodiae production areas sent their congratulations as well.

　　Xiabaoping Town is located at the northwest part of Yiling District, with an average elevation of 850 meters. It is very suitable for planting rhizoma gastrodiae due to its granite landform and weak acid soil covering two thirds of this region. After 30 years of cultivation practice and the strategic promotion of the Town’s Party Committee and Government, the rhizoma gastrodiae industry in this town has already gained the fame of "mature cultivation techniques, huge planting acreage, high yield and quality, and rights to decide market price". In 2012, the rhizoma gastrodiae planting area in the township covered over 3.3 million square meters, which produced 800 tons dry rhizoma gastrodiae. Its rhizoma gastrodiae and fungus seeds were sold to major rhizoma gastrodiae production areas and Chinese medicine materials trading market in different places of China, and the sales revenue was more than 130 million RMB. Xiabaoping not only becomes the national “rhizoma gastrodiae production champion", but also the well-known rhizoma gastrodiae distribution center.

　　In the interview by major media in Beijing, Tian Xuefeng said, the town will regard this award as an opportunity to promote transformation and sustainable development of rhizoma gastrodiae industry and enhance its competitiveness.

　　The Second National Rhizoma Gastrodiae Conference 2013 was organized by Chinese Mycological Society, taking “technology-driven, competitive development” as its theme. It was held to further promote the research and communication of rhizoma gastrodiae, popularize new technologies and new products in cultivating rhizoma gastrodiae, and develop the production of rhizoma gastrodiae medicine and health products so as to accelerate the development of rhizoma gastrodiae industry and boom the local economy. Nearly 300 experts, scholars and practitioners, from 23 provinces, cities and districts including Taiwan, attended the conference, and some members of rhizoma gastrodiae cooperatives in Yiling District and Wufeng Tujia Autonomous County took part in the conference.

　　The First National Rhizoma Gastrodiae Conference was held in Yichang on November, 2012.

　　(Reporter Li Yulin, Correspondent Zhang Yunzhi)