Taiyuan Botanical Garden is a comprehensive facility that integrates scientific research, popular science education, tourism, ecological leisure and cultural tourism. [Photo/Taiyuan Evening News]

Taiyuan Botanical Garden, located at the foot of Taishan Mountain in Jinyuan district of Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, was the city's first botanical garden to be established.

The garden which opened on Dec 31 in 2020, covers more than 180 hectares and grows more than 4,500 species of plants, including 83 endangered species.

The highlight of the garden is the three domes located by Haowen Lake. According to Lyu Jiannan, a member of staff, the complex won the 2021 Structural Awards, the world's leading awards for excellence in structural engineering.

The largest of the three domes is the Tropical Rainforest Pavilion, which creates a typical tropical rainforest environment with more than 1,500 kinds of tropical plants. The middle-sized one is the Desert Plants Pavilion which grows plants from America, Africa, and Australia – while the smallest dome displays plants and flowers in different seasons.

Taiyuan Botanical Garden also protects Shanxi's species diversity and Shanxi's endemic plant resources.

The scientific research team at the botanical garden has discovered 19 new species of plants in the province and is protecting more than 60 endangered plant species.