The 15^th Cross-strait Symposium on Environment, Resource and Ecological Conservation was held in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province of China from July 4 to July 7, 2014. It was co-hosted mainly by the Joint Research Center for Zhangjiajie Geomorphology, the Administrative Office of Zhangjiajie Global Geopark and the Government of Wulingyuan District, aiming at promoting cross-strait academic communications on resource conservation and eco-environment protection and cultivating more young scientists. Over 320 experts, scholars and students attended the symposium from more than 70 universities, institutes and governmental departments, and more than 60 of them were from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Prof. HUANG He-qing, the director of the Joint Research Center for Zhangjiajie Geomorphology, chaired the opening ceremony and made a welcoming address on behalf of the organizing committee. Representatives from the main organizing bodies, typically the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Institute of Geographic Sicences and Natural Resources Research of CAS, the Administrative Office of Zhangjiajie Global Geopark and the Association of Environment, Resources and Ecological Conservation of China, also presented welcome addresses.

 

During the symposium, more than 130 attendees made academic presentations and 30 students were awarded with the excellent presentations. Attendees of the symposium also participated a mid-conference field trip, paying a particular visit to the core areas of Zhangjiajie Global Geopark and participating geo-science popularization activities through a guided tour of the museum of Zhangjiajie Global Geopark, watching a 5D landscape evolution based movie and taking part in some other introductory activities. After the symposium, a large number of the attendees of the symposium paiticipated a 4-day post-conference field trip and visited the other parts of the geopark and some surrounding areas.