Around the theme of “Bridging Sustainable Asia”, the 34th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing took place in Bali, Indonesia, during October 20-24, 2013. A total of 1,379 registered representatives from 52 countries and regions attended this conference, a record high. This event was jointly organized by the Asian Association on Remote Sensing, the Indonesian Association on Remote Sensing and the Indonesia National Institute of Aeronautics and Space.

As an important initiator of the conference and a key member of the Asian Association on Remote Sensing, the Chinese National Committee for Remote Sensing (CNCRS) dispatched to the conference a delegation consisting of 47 people from 10 organizations including the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). During the five-day event, the delegation conducted academic exchanges in the form of academic reports, interviews, and a technical exhibition. At the opening ceremony, the Chen Shupeng Prize was presented to Dr. Bruce Forster, a professor at the University of New South Wales and former Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Journal of Geographic Information. He had been chosen as the prize winner by the Asian Association on Remote Sensing and the Chinese National Committee for Remote Sensing through recommendation and appraisal. This prize, funded by the Chinese National Committee for Remote Sensing, was established at the 32nd Asian Conference on Remote Sensing for the purpose of rewarding experts who have made outstanding contributions to Asia’s remote sensing cause.

During the conference, 12 specially invited representatives delivered speeches, and 72 technology seminars were staged. In addition, organizers of the conference received 811 papers, 366 papers were discussed at the oral exchange session, and 297 papers were posted. Prof. Gu Xingfa, Deputy Director of RADI, gave a speech entitled “China’s Earth Observation Satellite Systems” at the Satellite Program session. Zhao Hengqian and Sun Xuejian, two doctoral students from RADI, respectively received the Best Oral Report Award and the Best Paper Presentation Award for Students.

Many Chinese organizations showcased advanced products and technology at a joint booth during the technical exhibition. Attendees included RADI, the Satellite Surveying and Mapping Application Center of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, and Beijing Twenty-First Century Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. Their large remote sensing images captured by ZY-3 and Shijian 9 satellites attracted much attention from the attendees.

Prof. Gu Xingfa was reappointed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Asian Association on Remote Sensing at a member meeting.

The Asian Association on Remote Sensing holds an Asian conference on remote sensing annually. From 1980 to the present, a total of 34 conferences have been staged. As one of the world’s major conferences on remote sensing, the Asian Conference on Remote Sensing serves as an important platform on which Asian countries and regions or even the whole world conduct academic exchanges in remote sensing and related fields. The 35th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing will take place in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, during October 27-31, 2014.

The opening ceremony of the 34th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing.

The number of attendees to the 34th ACRS reaches a record high.

The Chen Shupeng Prize presentation ceremony.

Prof. Gu Xingfa delivers a speech on China's satellite program.

The Best Paper/Innovation Awards presentation ceremony.

The Chinese delegation in cultural and artistic exchange.