From April 1st to 4th, the Second Cactus and Succulent Plant Conference, along with the First Zhangzhou International Succulent Plant Conference, will be held in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province. Scholars, explorers, and entrepreneurs from nine countries including Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Thailand, Ukraine, and Ethiopia will converge in Zhangzhou. They will join experts and businesses specializing in cacti and succulent plants from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to initiate a grand international exchange and trade fair.

"The conference invites numerous international guests, aiming to foster industry exchanges and facilitate export trade," said Wang Wenpeng, the organizer of the event and the head of Longhai Countryside Horticulture Co., Ltd. Wang is well-known in the industry for his "Cactus Kingdom," where various giant cacti, succulents, and measuring rods create an atmosphere akin to a desert world.

The event will feature three main components: conference forums, award evaluations, and live auctions. Of these, the stellar lineup of guests is particularly anticipated.

Regarding species diversity, Andreas Hofacker, former president of the German Cactus Society with over 40 years of experience in cultivating and exploring cacti and succulents, will share exciting adventures from Brazil. His wife, Ute Bosch, also a succulent expert, will discuss cacti and succulents from South America. The couple has ventured into the native habitats of South American cacti over ten times.

Sabine Phillipp, an expert in the family of Cucurbitaceae plants, will elaborate on the characteristics and wilderness survival of these plants. Joël Lodé, a French global explorer who founded the ARIDES association and the Cactus-Adventures magazine, will recount his expedition to Yemen and Socotra Island in search of dragon blood trees. Hardy Hübene, focusing on the genus Ferocactus, will share insights from his extensive explorations in central and southern Mexico, revealing surprising discoveries