Making a fortune in the bonsai tree shaping business.

Mr. Do Dinh Nam (25 years old, Dien Xa, Nam Truc, Nam Dinh) made this comment about the profession of shaping bonsai trees.

Despite his young age, Nam has been working in this profession for over 7 years. According to Nam, having been born and raised in a famous ornamental plant village, his passion for ornamental plants has been ingrained in him since childhood. However, it wasn't until after finishing high school that he decided to pursue his passion.

His first teacher was his father, and Nam started by pruning leaves and helping his father with odd jobs. Just a few months later, Nam was able to create valuable bonsai trees on his own.

"The first bonsai trees I created were from Terminalia catappa trees. I bought the rootstock for just a few tens of thousands of dong, but after a few shaping steps, these trees all had a soul and their value increased many times over, some even reaching millions of dong," Nam recounted.

Having started earning his first money from his passion, Nam became even more enthusiastic about the craft, determined to explore and learn. From small, low-value trees, Nam was able to create larger ones worth hundreds of millions to billions of dong.

By selling bonsai plants, Mr. Nam earns a fairly high and stable income.

In the 100m2 courtyard that Mr. Nam calls "Thanh Nam Garden House," countless types of bonsai trees, from starfruit, crape myrtle, fig, and Podocarpus, are displayed everywhere, all of which are works created by Mr. Nam himself.

Not content with his passion for his small garden, in recent years, Mr. Nam has started showcasing his self-made creations on social media platforms. Unexpectedly, many like-minded people have embraced and purchased his work, giving Mr. Nam a stable source of income from his bonsai shaping profession.

"The work is quite busy. Each livestream selling session earns me an average of 5 to 10 million VND. From that, I can earn about 50 million VND per month from selling bonsai plants. That's a considerable amount of money, enough to support my passion and meet my family's personal needs," Nam shared.

Bonsai trees increase in value many times over after being shaped by skilled artisans.

According to Nam, many young people like him are choosing bonsai making as a way to earn a living, because if you truly love it and dedicate your time to it, this profession can provide a fairly good income.

Meanwhile, Vu Minh Phuc (35 years old, Dien Xa, Nam Truc, Nam Dinh), who has been working as a bonsai artist for over 10 years, said that for him, bonsai art is not just about making a living, but also about fulfilling his great passion.

A miniature bonsai tree in Mr. Nam's garden.

“Each bonsai tree, created from its wild, overgrown state, is the culmination of the dedication of the craftsman. Rain or shine, joy or sorrow, we are always there for the tree. Shaping, observing, and refining it until it becomes a beautiful work of art is an invaluable reward. Whenever I have a piece I'm satisfied with, I can lose sleep and appetite, spending all day thinking and talking about it,” Mr. Phuc said.

The profession of shaping bonsai trees provides a good income.

According to Mr. Phuc, a few years ago, a beautiful bonsai tree could help bonsai artists like him build a house or buy a car. The profession of shaping bonsai trees truly brought a very good income to him and other people in the bonsai village.

Speaking about the process of creating a bonsai from start to finish, Mr. Phuc said that bonsai artists must first select the plant material and variety. At this stage, older trees with gnarled trunks and uniquely twisted branches are preferred. Next, the bonsai artist will develop an idea, prune the branches, and use wire to shape the tree.

More and more young people are choosing to pursue a career in bonsai shaping.

The final stage, which is also the longest, involves perfecting the tree. The treemaker must wait for the right time, from a few months to years, to shape the tree according to their wishes. After many such attempts, the tree's shape becomes stable, perfected, and ready for market.

"Creating a work of art is not easy; it requires a lot of time. If you don't have passion, you really can't do it," Mr. Phuc said.

Due to the economic benefits of bonsai shaping, in recent years, many people in Dien Xa commune and neighboring areas have begun to explore and develop the craft, with many being awarded the title of artisan. Locals often call it the profession: "Turning passion, leaves, and soil into money."

Source: https://vtc.vn/hot-bac-voi-nghe-tao-dang-cay-canh-bonsai-ar849405.html