On January 6, the first-ever Alpine Truffle Museum in China was inaugurated at the Fuli Palace of Kunming Botanical Garden. Established by the skincare brand “DR Plant,” the museum focuses on showcasing the unique allure and value of truffles through innovative methods. This initiative not only supports the conservation of black truffles (tuber melanosporum) but also injects fresh energy into biodiversity protection efforts.

Protecting truffle ecosystems and enhancing public understanding

As a cultural icon recognized in both Eastern and Western traditions, black truffles have a history dating back to ancient Rome around 2000 BCE. For centuries, black truffles have been prized delicacies among European nobility and royalty. Known for their demanding growth requirements, truffles thrive in symbiotic relationships with plants, requiring specific soil conditions. Their polysaccharides and restorative agents contribute to their reputation as the “gecko of the biological world” for their remarkable self-healing properties. In China, truffles are considered a rare and precious wild fungus, primarily found in eastern, western, and southeastern Yunnan. With an annual yield of approximately 300 tons, Yunnan produces 60% of the country's total truffle harvest.  

“Biodiversity is of paramount importance. We have partnered with the Kunming Institute of Botany for many years, investing over 10 million yuan annually to promote agricultural development in Yunnan and effectively support biodiversity conservation,” said Xie Yong, Vice Chairman of the Wu Zhengyi Science Foundation and Chairman of Beijing DR Plant Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

To better protect truffle ecosystems and enhance public understanding, DR Plant has established the country’s first Alpine Truffle Museum. By integrating ethnic culture into its brand, the museum promotes the concept of alpine plant-based skincare. The museum experience is designed like a journey through a natural time capsule, vividly presenting the growth history of black truffles. Integrating education, exhibition, interaction, and experience, it encourages visitors to explore the symbiotic relationships between fungi, plants, and humans, highlighting the beauty of nature and humanity through an innovative perspective.  

“As a domestic brand deeply rooted in alpine plant-based skincare, DR Plant is committed to delivering safe and effective products. This museum in Kunming serves as a public platform for immersive learning, where visitors can discover the relationship between truffles, ecology, and skincare,” remarked Qin Lan, an Alpine Truffle Experience Ambassador, during the opening ceremony.  

The museum’s design embodies DR Plant’s green philosophy, emphasizing the harmony between humans and nature, as well as between science and art. The building’s mirrored exterior reflects the surrounding natural landscape, achieving seamless integration with its environment. Inside, interactive installations and curated zones comprehensively reveal the mysteries and value of black truffles.  

Deep Integration of Industry, Academia, Research, and Application to Empower Biodiversity Conservation

To effectively utilize biological resources and integrate scientific research with industrial applications, DR Plant has maintained a 20-year strategic partnership with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Together, they established the “Kunming Institute of Botany - DR Plant R&D Center,” which leverages traditional Chinese knowledge of plant-based skincare to conduct in-depth research on alpine plants for skincare applications.  

Xu Jianchu, Chief Scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre and Distinguished Researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany, noted, “As a symbiotic fungus, truffles serve as an important bridge connecting the plant and animal kingdoms. However, black truffles don’t grow just anywhere—they require specific soil conditions, particularly alkaline soils. Such soils are increasingly rare, which makes their natural habitats even more limited.”  

These stringent natural conditions make cultivating black truffles an exceptionally challenging task. Scientific methods and extensive expertise are applied during cultivation to assess factors such as sheen, fullness, and maturity, ensuring that each black truffle reaches its optimal quality.

Xu also emphasized truffles’ ecological, nutritional, and cosmetic value, noting that while Chinese black truffles rival French truffles in nutritional value, they lag significantly in harvesting techniques and global recognition. “Truffles exemplify harmonious coexistence in the ecosystem. We need to bring Chinese wisdom, technology, and products to the global stage to fully utilize and protect truffles. The Alpine Truffle Museum plays a crucial role in this effort, helping Yunnan truffles reach international markets.” 

Previously, Dr. Plant donated 30 million yuan to complete the botanical landscaping of the Fuli Palace greenhouse complex and provided funding for the Wu Zhengyi Botanical Award to advance academic research and cultivate talent in botany. By partnering with the Kunming Institute of Botany, the brand is transforming research findings into practical applications, raising public awareness of black truffles, advancing the truffle industry, and ensuring the effective use of biological resources.

1月6日，中国首个高山松露博物馆落地昆明植物园扶荔宫。该博物馆由“植物医生”品牌建立，以高山松露为核心，是中国首个高山松露博物馆，旨在以创新形式全面向公众展现松露的独特魅力与珍贵价值，为黑松露保护提供有力支持的同时，也为生物多样性保护事业注入新活力。

保护松露生态 提升公众认知

黑松露作为中西方都认可的文化符号之一，最早可追溯到公元前20世纪的罗马时期。在过去的几个世纪中，黑松露一直是欧洲贵族和皇室的珍贵食材，其对生长环境极其严苛，在自然中与植物共生，对土壤有着高要求，且松露中含有松露多糖和修复因子，对于受损组织具有强大的自愈能力，因此松露也被称为“生物界的壁虎”。松露作为云南珍稀及名贵的野生菌之一，主要分布在滇东、滇西、滇东南地区，年产量近300吨，占中国总产量的60%以上。

“生物多样性具有举足轻重的地位，我们一直与云南昆明植物研究所携手合作，每年投入巨资逾千万，主要是为了推动云南地区的种植业发展，并积极促进当地生物多样性保护工作的有效实施。”吴征镒科学基金会副理事长、北京植物医生生物科技有限公司董事长解勇如是说。

为了更好保护松露生态不受破坏，提高大众对松露的认知，植物医生建立全国首家高山松露博物馆，将民族文化融入品牌建设中，推广高山植物护肤理念。步入展厅，宛如进入自然星球的时空隧道，黑松露的成长史一目了然，展厅集科教、展览、体验与互动为一体，用博物馆视角带领大众关注菌物与植物、菌物与人类之间最积极的共生关系，用科学的态度去认知世界、生物及人类肌肤细胞，以创新形式展示自然之美与人文之美。

“植物医生作为深耕高山植物护肤领域的国货品牌，一直致力于将安全有效的高山植物成分带给大家。此次在云南昆明建造的国内首家高山松露博物馆，以公益形式，通过知识科普和沉浸式互动，让我们深入了解松露与生态、与人类护肤的关系。”高山松露体验官秦岚在揭幕仪式中提到。

“我们的品牌展厅，结合了植物医生的绿色理念，展现了人与自然、科技与艺术共生的主题”。博物馆展厅的外立面采用了镜面材质，将周边自然美景完整地反射出来，建筑与自然交融，做到与环境和谐共生，展厅内通过一系列互动装置和区域，全方位展示了黑松露的神秘魅力与珍贵价值。

“产学研用”深度融合 赋能生物多样性保护

为了实现生物资源的有效利用，促进品牌产学研一体化，植物医生与中国科学院昆明植物研究所建立了长达20年的战略合作，并联合成立“中科昆植植物医生研发中心”，通过利用中国拥有的植物护肤知识和养颜文化，深入开展对高山植物的研究并应用于护肤品中。

世界农用林业中心首席科学家、中国科学院昆明研究所特聘研究员许建初提到，“松露作为共生菌，是连接植物界和动物界的一个重要桥梁，但黑松露不是什么地方都长，它对土壤的pH（酸碱度）有要求，它是碱性的，这个土壤中才能找到，所以像这样的土壤就是更少了。”

基于这一系列严苛的自然条件，使得黑松露的种植培育也成为一项极具挑战的任务，种植时通过科学的方法与丰富的经验，对其光泽亮度、饱满度及成熟度进行评估，确保每一颗黑松露都能达到最佳状态。

“松露是万物生长万物和谐的典型代表，是和谐的生命共同体。我国的黑松露与法国营养价值近乎相同，商业价格却相差几十倍，主要原因还是在开采工艺和社会影响上的不足，松露的生态功能、营养功能、美容功能都在等待挖掘，我们不仅要利用好松露，更要保护好松露，这方面就需要贡献我们中国人的智慧，中国人的科技、中国人的装备，中国人的产品！”许建初表示，植物医生高山松露博物馆对于我国黑松露的保护和传播都至关重要，以高山松露博物馆为载体，希望云南黑松露走出中国，走向世界。

据了解，此前植物医生还曾捐赠3000万元完成“扶荔宫”温室群植物景观布展，并向“吴征镒植物学奖”捐赠奖励资金，大力推动了植物学领域的学术研究与人才培养，鼓励更多年轻血液投身植物科学事业，将民族符号传向世界。此次植物医生与中国科学院昆明植物研究所通过院企合作将科研成果转化和应用，不仅提高大众对黑松露的认知，还推动了黑松露产业的发展，实现生物资源有效利用。（云南网 记者王璐瑶 中国科学院昆明植物研究所供图）