On August 18, the Opening Ceremony of the 21st Cross-Strait (Sanming) Forestry Expo and the 2026 Yong'an Bamboo Expo was grandly held at Yong'an Square in Fujian, renowned as "China's Bamboo Capital." Guided by the China Forestry Industry Association, the China Bamboo Industry Association, and the National Association of Taiwan-Invested Enterprises, the event was jointly hosted by Sanming Agriculture and Forestry Development Group Co., Ltd. and Yong'an Yongxiang Development Group Co., Ltd. Running through August 23, the expo brings together 224 related enterprises, with enterprises from outside Sanming accounting for an impressive 42%. Covering the entire industrial chain—from forestry and bamboo processing and forest foods to the understory economy and intelligent agricultural and forestry equipment—the expo has built a premium platform for government-enterprise dialogue, business and trade cooperation, and technological exchange.
Technological innovation was the biggest highlight at the opening ceremony. The China Bamboo Industry Association officially released five cutting-edge research achievements under the "Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastics" initiative. These include the bamboo-based tiltrotor drone, key manufacturing technologies for degradable bamboo fiber-reinforced polymer composites, bamboo-based fully biodegradable new materials, key preparation technologies and applications for bamboo sand barriers, and Jingang bamboo pallets. Against the global backdrop of advocating green and low-carbon development, the launch of these frontier technologies not only broadens the implementation pathways for the "bamboo for plastics" initiative but also brings new opportunities for Sanming to extend its industrial chain based on abundant bamboo resources and promote high-quality development of the bamboo industry. This underscores the immense potential of the bamboo industry in replacing traditional plastic products and reducing environmental pollution.
To open up new avenues for cooperation in the forestry and bamboo industries, several major contract signings took place on-site. The Resource and Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Forestry signed agreements on the transformation and application of research achievements with Fujian Liangshan Ecological Products Trading Co., Ltd. and the Sanming Forestry Bureau, respectively. Meanwhile, the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan reached a scientific and technological cooperation agreement with the Sanming Municipal Government. These initiatives aim to bring technological innovation to the bamboo forests and integrate research outcomes into the industrial chain, building strong momentum for the innovative development of Sanming's bamboo industry. Furthermore, adhering to the philosophy that "industrial development relies on talent and is led by think tanks," appointment letters were presented on-site to the initiators of the expert team for the bamboo and wood industrial chain and to special science and technology commissioners, gathering robust intellectual support for the high-quality development of the forestry sector.
The expo features a meticulously planned exhibition layout that comprehensively showcases the fruits of integrated forestry development across the strait. As the core exhibition area, the China Bamboo Products City has built the Sanming Boutique Bamboo Home Furnishings Pavilion, pavilions for various counties, cities, and districts in Sanming, and the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan Scientific and Technological Achievements Exhibition Hall. It also features exhibition zones for cities across the province, the Forestry Industry Association, enterprises from various counties, cities, and districts, as well as a bamboo shoot and bamboo food tasting area. Zhudu Golden Street focuses on the exhibition and sales of premium specialty products, gathering Taiwanese specialty goods, Sanming's "Green City Premium Products" and "Time-Honored Brands," premium specialty products from Xinjiang, and distinctive agricultural and forestry products from various counties, cities, districts in Sanming and towns in Yong'an. A specially set up Cross-Strait Food Market brings together specialty delicacies, offering a taste of the vibrant culinary culture from both sides of the strait. Zhudu Square features an intelligent agricultural and forestry equipment exhibition area, focusing on new quality productive forces in forestry. It gathers top domestic and international enterprises in the sector, showcasing the latest advancements in modern technology empowering traditional forestry.
In terms of green and low-carbon development, this Forestry Expo has set a new industry benchmark. The organizers specially purchased the "Fujian Jinson 200-Ton Forestry Carbon Tickets" to fully offset carbon emissions during the event, successfully achieving carbon neutrality. Meanwhile, Sanming's local digital carbon sink platform—the "Tan Xiaoyuan" WeChat mini-program—was officially launched, leveraging digital means to help build a low-carbon, green, and beautiful homeland, demonstrating the local government's proactive exploration of the value realization mechanism for ecological products.
During the expo, a rich array of特色 activities took place in succession. The organizers held a comprehensive health and wellness industry promotion conference, a green finance innovation signing ceremony, bamboo industry inspection tours, a bamboo industry investment promotion conference, a dedicated supply and procurement matchmaking event for bamboo shoot and bamboo products, and exchanges on intelligent agricultural and forestry equipment, fully showcasing local cultural resources. At the same time, various counties, cities, and districts in Sanming coordinated city-wide efforts, taking turns hosting theme days that covered industrial promotion, folklore performances, and intangible cultural heritage experiences, providing diversified public participation and comprehensively boosting the high-quality development of the forestry and bamboo industries.