'Magically' transforming rough tree stumps into million-dollar bonsai
(Baonghean.vn) - Spending months hunting for tree roots, months, even years to tame the tree, shape it, graft it, cut it, and prune it, Nguyen Trong Tien in Dong Luoc hamlet, Kim Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) turned rough tree roots into bonsai worth millions.
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| Passionate about bonsai since he was a 9th grader, after graduating from high school, Tien studied carpentry and worked for wood carving workshops in the North. In 2016, Tien returned home, switched to bonsai, and pursued his passion. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| To have unique and strange tree shapes, Tien had to spend months hunting for tree roots in fences of houses, wild gardens, hilly areas and even remote villages to bring them back. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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Next is the process of domestication, how to make the tree take root and thrive in the new environment. Then research and experiment to see what kind of tree can be grafted onto the root, how to cut and trim to create a work of art. "Some trees only take a few months, but some take years to complete," Tien shared. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| From bare tree stumps, through his skillful hands, creativity and aesthetic sense, Tien has created works of art that sell for prices ranging from hundreds of dollars to millions of dollars. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| According to Tien, shaping a tree must be in accordance with feng shui as well as aesthetics, so it must be calculated precisely to every centimeter. When working, one must be absorbed, focused, and use all of one's abilities to create the most perfect product. In addition to skillful hands, shaping a tree requires the craftsman to have sophistication and certain knowledge. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| The bonsai trees in Tien's garden are all different, each bonsai style carries its own message, conveying the wish for people to move towards a good life, kindness, and affection. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| Born in a famous peach blossom village in the province, to increase the value of Kim Thanh peach blossom trees, Tien thought of a way to buy ancient peach trees from other places and graft them with local peach blossoms, creating bonsai peach trees to supply to the market. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| Currently, in Tien's garden there are 300 peach trees grafted with faded peach trees, each tree sells for 2-10 million VND, dozens of times higher than traditional peach trees sold for branches. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
