The first public herbarium in modern China: The establishment and early history of the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens and Herbarium

Founded in the 1870s, the Hong Kong Herbarium emerged not only as China’s first public herbarium but also as one of the most prominent botanical institutions in the region during the first half of the twentieth century. By delving into the correspondence and annual reports of the botanical gardens’ Superintendents, this article aims to illustrate the developmental trajectory of this herbarium from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. This exploration encompasses its establishment, collection efforts and extensive network of exchanges, shedding light on the often-overlooked significance of this herbarium and enhancing recognition within the scholarly community.