'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 comes the process of domestication, how to make the tree take root and thrive in the new environment. Then, we research and experiment to see what kind of tree can be grafted onto the root, how to cut and trim it to create a work of art. "Some trees only take a few months, but others 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 thousands to millions of dong. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
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| According to Tien, shaping the 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 focused, concentrate, and use all of one's abilities to create the most perfect product. In addition to skillful hands, shaping the tree requires the worker 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 love. 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 grafted peach trees, each selling for 2-10 million VND, dozens of times higher than traditional peach trees sold for branches. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
