The symposium “East Asian Plant Diversity and Conservation” was initiated in 2007 by the societies involving plant taxonomy and evolution from Japan (Japanese Society of Plant Taxonomist), China (Taxonomy and Evolution Division of Botanical Society of China) and South Korea (Korean Society of Plant Taxonomist). The symposium aims to provide a forum to share and discuss the latest developments in the field of plant taxonomy and evolution as well as plant biodiversity research and conservation, and to promote the exchange of scientific information among researchers and students in East Asian countries. The first symposium “East Asian Plant Diversity and Conservation” was successfully held on August 2, 2008 in Sapporo, Japan. This second symposium will be held in Beijing, China as one of a series of scientific symposia and satellite meetings held in China to celebrate the impact of Darwin’s ideas on current scientific knowledge. The official language is English.