Admiring the beauty of Vietnamese orchid species through the lens of a researcher

Currently, Vietnam has 23 species of native orchids and 118 natural hybrids. These numbers confirm that the diversity of orchids in Vietnam is ranked among the top in the region. However, rampant exploitation and encroachment on forest land have put many species at risk of extinction.

Meanwhile, literature on orchids in Vietnam is very limited. The most recent book on slipper orchids was published in 2004.

That is the reason why researcher Chu Xuan Canh (born in 1976) decided to collect his field knowledge and print it into a bilingual book "Vietnamese Paphiopedilum - The charming beauty of nature."

The book launch attracted the attention of orchid lovers. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)

The book, launched on March 30 in Hanoi , provides basic information about all species of slipper orchids in Vietnam, including descriptions of their biological characteristics and natural habitat, thereby calling on people to preserve their pristine habitat.

According to the author, Vietnam is known as one of the countries with the richest orchid system in the region, which also means that the ecosystem of Vietnam in many areas is still well preserved. Orchids are one of the plant species that are quite sensitive to the environment, so they are also an indicator species that shows the ecosystem of the area where orchids are still rich.

“For me, orchid research is not only about nurturing my passion, but also about connecting people around the world to better understand and preserve orchids, and also to protect the ecological environment. I hope that through this book, readers will have the opportunity to understand more about the beauty of slipper orchids and will join hands to preserve the precious natural values ​​that we are fortunate to inherit,” the author shared.

The book is considered an encyclopedia of slipper orchids in Vietnam. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)

This book is the result of a 12-year process of collecting information and images of Vietnamese Paphiopedilum species blooming in the wild. In particular, there is a species named Paphiopedilum canhii, named after Mr. Chu Xuan Canh because he discovered it in 2009. This species was described and published in the American Orchid Society magazine in May 2010.

Chu Xuan Canh is also known as one of the world's famous speakers on natural slipper orchids. He has been invited to present Vietnamese slipper orchids at many international conferences as well as seminars in many countries around the world.

Professor-Doctor of Science Tran Duy Quy, Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Chairman of the Vietnam Orchid Production and Business Association, highly appreciated the elaborateness of the publication.

Some species of slipper orchids are displayed at the book launch. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)

“Chu Xuan Canh has a huge archive of documents that no other author in Vietnam researching slipper orchids has. The publication of this book is a major scientific event in 2025 and the author of the book deserves to be an outstanding scientist in the field of research on slipper orchids in Vietnam,” Mr. Quy said./.

The book, published by Lien Viet Book Company and The Gioi Publishing House, weighs nearly 3kg, is 500 pages thick, and has thousands of orchid images taken by the author himself.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/chiem-nguong-ve-dep-cac-loai-lan-hai-viet-nam-qua-lang-kinh-nha-nghien-cuu-post1023641.vnp