2011 INBAR Bamboo Industrial Tour 18-24 November 2011, Zhejiang, China 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 2011 Bamboo Industrial Tour to China 18-24 November for 7 days to visit Zhejiang province(5 days classroom training are planned but it will be arranged if there are enough people interested in it). The cost in China is 1200$/person covering accommodation, food, transportation and entrance tickets in China between 18-24 November. Participants should cover their international flights and the domestic flights to and from Hangzhou as well as travel insurance and visa fee. Here, you can read the <http://world-bamboo.blogspot.com/> reports of 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 bamboo tours and see some <http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii63/bamboo-photo/> 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 18 November and depart from Hangzhou airport on 24 November. 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 veneer for 70,000 BMW cars' interior decoration and 40m long bamboo wind turbine blade manufacturer), producer of strand woven bamboo lumber and floor), Shengbang(bamboo concrete form and firber board), Xieqiang(bamboo curtain and mat); Kangxing bamboo shoot processing company, Shenshi Bio-product company(bamboo extract like flavonoid, bamboo beer), Wenzhao, the biggest bamboo charcoal company(charcoal and vinegar) and the only <http://www.8185075.com/china/news_views.asp?newsid=289> China Bamboo Charcoal Museum in the world, some primitive processing workshops(bamboo strips) on community level, Huachun bamboo furniture company, Jitai bamboo processing machine company and Anji bamboo product market(hundreds bamboo products including bamboo clothes). We will also visit the biggest bamboo botanic garden in the world, <http://www.cnbamboo.cn/YQJG.asp> Anji Bamboo Garden, which has more than 300 bamboo species plus two giant pandas, and Chinese Bamboo Museum in this garden; High-yield bamboo plantation, bamboo film production base ( <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crouching_Tiger,_Hidden_Dragon> Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banquet_(2006_film)> Banquet) 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 and Asia and America etc. We may help participants find suitable bamboo processing machine manufacturers (strand woven bamboo, bamboo floor, charcoal briquette and so on). Tentative schedule 18 Nov. arrive in Hangzhou 19 Nov. Hangzhou city-Suichang county of Zhejiang province 20 Nov. Suichang county-Lin'an county 21 Nov. Lin'an county-Anji county 22-23 Nov. in Anji county 24 Nov. departure from Hangzhou 25-30 Nov. classroom training Day 1 bamboo cultivation and stand management Day 2 bamboo treatment and floor Day 3 bamboo veneer Day 4 strand woven bamboo production and its use Day 5 bamboo charcoal Day 6 departure from Hangzhou airport of Zhejiang province Please download the registration form and payment form here <http://www.inbar.int/Admin/ewebeditor6/uploadfile/20100126181813730.doc> 2011 tour form and payment.doc . For more information, please contact: Ms Li Xin and Dr. Fu Jinhe, INBAR E-mail: <mailto:xli@inbar.int> xli(a)inbar.int and <mailto:jfu@inbar.int> jfu(a)inbar.int More details of the Previous tours In cooperation with the International Center for Research on Agro-Forestry (ICRAF), INBAR organized <http://oldsite.inbar.int/news.asp?vpid=15> 2005 Bamboo Study Tour in Zhejiang province of China from 10th-16th May, 2005. 20 participants form 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. At the request of UNIDO, INBAR organized a <http://world-bamboo.blogspot.com/> 2007 bamboo study tour from 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, the Director General of Ethiopia Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency, the Permanent Secretary of Kenya, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource, the Director of Kenya Forest Research Institute and Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General of INBAR. ministers of INBAR member countries, CFC official and diplomats. INBAR's <http://world-bamboo.blogspot.com/> 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 the <http://www.inbar.int/show.asp?BoardID=98&NewsID=529> 2009 Bamboo Tour. The bamboo tour from 19-29 May 2010 attracted 27 participants from 12 countries, among which there was a Thai group consisting 11 members, and the remainder from Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia, Jamaica, Belize, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, France, Mauritius. The 10-day trip covered 6 cities/counties - Shanghai, An'ji County, Lin'an County, Suichang County, Hangzhou city in Zhejiang Province, Chengdu in Sichuan Province. In 2011, INBAR's Bamboo Tour ran 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, from different organizations 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. ------------------------- circulated on behalf of Jinhe FU, INBAR, by Brigitte Burger, IUFRO Headquarters