Do Dinh Nam (25 years old, Dien Xa, Nam Truc, Nam Dinh) commented on the art of bonsai tree shaping.
Despite his young age, Nam has been in this profession for over 7 years. According to him, being born and raised in a famous bonsai village, his passion for bonsai trees has been ingrained in him since childhood. However, it was not until after he finished high school that he decided to pursue his passion.
His first teacher was his father, and Nam started with leaf pruning and assisting his father. Only a few months later, Nam was able to create valuable bonsai products on his own.
“The first bonsai trees I created were made from seedlings bought for just a few tens of thousands of dong, but after several bending and shaping steps, these trees gained vitality and their value increased many times, with some reaching millions of dong,” Nam recalled.
Starting to earn his first money from his passion, Nam became more eager for the profession, determined to explore and learn. From small and low-value trees, Nam was able to produce larger trees valued at hundreds of millions or even billions of dong.
With bonsai tree products, Nam has achieved a decent and stable income.
In his 100m2 garden called “Thanh Nam Garden”, countless bonsai trees such as limes, cypress, mulberry, and pine are displayed, all of which are Nam’s own creations.
Not content with his small garden alone, in recent years Nam has started showcasing his creations on social media platforms. To his surprise, many like-minded people have embraced and purchased his work, providing Nam with a stable source of income from bonsai tree shaping.
“It’s a busy job. I can earn an average of about 5 to 10 million dong for each livestream session. As a result, I can earn about 50 million dong per month from selling bonsai tree products. It’s a significant amount, enough for me to pursue my passion and meet my family’s personal needs,” Nam shared.
The value of bonsai tree products increases significantly after being shaped by professionals.
According to Nam, nowadays many young people like him choose bonsai tree shaping as a way to make a living, because if they truly love and dedicate time to it, this profession can provide a decent income.
On the other hand, for Phuc Vu Minh (35 years old, Dien Xa, Nam Truc, Nam Dinh), who has been in the bonsai tree shaping profession for over 10 years, bonsai tree shaping is not just about making a living, but also about satisfying his great passion.
A miniature bonsai tree masterpiece in Nam’s garden.
“Each bonsai tree masterpiece is formed from its original wild and untamed state. Rain or shine, happiness or sadness, we become friends with the tree. Bending, admiring, crafting until the tree becomes a beautiful work of art is an invaluable reward. Whenever there’s a piece I’m satisfied with, I can lose sleep, spend the whole day thinking and talking about it,” Phuc said.
Bonsai tree shaping brings a good income.
According to Phuc, a few years ago, a beautiful bonsai tree could help people in the profession build houses and buy cars. Bonsai tree shaping truly brings a very good income for him and the people in the bonsai tree shaping village.
Talking about the process of creating a bonsai masterpiece from start to finish, Phuc explained that the craftsman must first select the seedling and tree variety. At this stage, old trees with unique rugged root structures and twisted trunks are given priority. Then, the craftsman will come up with ideas, trim the branches, and use wire to shape the tree.
More and more young people are choosing the bonsai tree shaping profession.
The final stage is perfecting the tree, which is also the longest stage. The craftsman must wait for the right time, from a few months to years, to shape the tree according to their desired form. After many such attempts, the tree’s form stabilizes, is perfected, and is ready for the market.
“Creating a masterpiece is not easy; it requires exchanging a lot of time. Without passion, it’s truly impossible,” Phuc said.
In light of the economic benefits of bonsai tree shaping, in recent years, many people in Dien Xa commune and neighboring areas have begun to explore and develop the profession, and many have been honored with the title of artisan. Local people often refer to this profession as “turning passion, leaves, and soil into money.”
