A man in Hoa Binh province planted bamboo extensively on the hills and once donated 1,000 bamboo trees shaped into dragon forms to Hanoi.

More than a decade ago, Mr. Nam became famous nationwide for proposing to donate 1,000 Vietnamese bamboo trees, bent into the shape of dragons ("dragon descending"), to the Hanoi People's Committee to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.

His dedication to the grand ceremony was recognized with a commendation from the Hanoi City People's Committee. Not stopping there, he also created many timeless works of art through the art of bamboo bending.

A burning passion for Vietnamese bamboo.

In a small house deep in Yen Nhan hamlet, Mr. Nam has cultivated many bamboo saplings. Some grow into clumps, some stand alone, and many have been shaped into beautiful forms with elegant names such as "Two Dragons Worshipping the Moon," "Four Dragons United," "One Dragon Descending to Earth," etc. From humble bamboo roots, through his hands, they have become imbued with soul and distinct forms.

Mr. Nam has a burning passion for Vietnamese bamboo. He has painstakingly cultivated and shaped bamboo into works of art. Photo: Thuan Viet.

Although he's turned 70 this year, Mr. Nam still looks very healthy. His voice is booming when he talks about his bamboo art garden.

He walked briskly through the garden, talking and working at the same time. Around his house, he cultivated all kinds of bamboo, from small to large.

Mr. Nam said: "Vietnamese bamboo has been a part of my life since childhood. Now I am planning to create many more masterpieces from bamboo."

As Mr. Nam said, his hectare garden is largely dedicated to growing bamboo.

As the bamboo grows, he shapes it into whimsical and intricate animal figures. Bending bamboo must begin when it's still young, so as soon as the tender branches are fully formed, he "forces" them to grow into the predetermined shapes.

Through Mr. Nam's skillful hands, Vietnamese bamboo has been "transformed" into a dragon.

Around the garden, the familiar image of the bamboo grove gradually appeared as Mr. Nam told his story.

"Previously, my garden had thousands of artworks made from bamboo. The golden-yellow bamboo was shaped into dragons, phoenixes… Everyone who came to see them loved them. They bought them all. Recently, I had to cultivate thousands more bamboo seedlings," Mr. Nam shared.

Speaking of bamboo, his passion for bending and shaping bamboo began in the early 1990s.

One time, he went to the Yen Tri commune committee to complete some administrative procedures. Seeing some ornamental yellow bamboo bushes lying around, he asked for some to take home and plant in his garden.

Having experience in pruning and shaping bonsai trees, he thought to himself, why not give bamboo a proper status? So he began researching and diligently shaping bamboo trees.

To create a work of art with soul and form, Mr. Nam spent many years bending and shaping the bamboo. Photo: Thuan Viet.

After some time working with bamboo, he realized that it was very easy to bend and could be shaped into many different forms. So he traveled everywhere collecting yellow bamboo. Whenever someone sold bamboo roots, he would bring them back to his garden. From there, he could unleash his creativity.

Mr. Nam was naturally skilled with his hands and had a burning passion for bamboo, so he created many different shapes. From humble bamboo groves, through his hands, they were transformed into works of art. Initially, he bent them for fun and then gave them away as gifts.

The story of how he gifted bamboo is also very unique. Instead of giving it to bonsai enthusiasts, he transported his creations to various places, from the Presidential Palace to embassies and UNESCO organizations.

Wherever he took his artwork, people happily accepted it. Now, his cabinet still holds dozens of thank-you letters from foreign units stationed in Vietnam. Mr. Nam recounted, "Knowing that I was giving away artworks made from bamboo, they were very happy. They felt honored to have learned about Vietnamese bamboo."

Mr. Nam is keeping many thank-you letters from embassies and foreign organizations based in Vietnam. Photo: Thuan Viet.

From that donation, Mr. Nam gradually became a renowned artisan throughout the region. Bonsai enthusiasts came to his house and bought up thousands of his works. What started as a passion, a way to satisfy his creative urge, unexpectedly led him to take up the craft of bending bamboo. Now in his seventies, he still bends bamboo to fulfill his passion. He has breathed life into Vietnamese bamboo.

Timeless works of art made from Vietnamese bamboo.

Mr. Nam is from Truc Ninh district ( Nam Dinh province ) - a place where the craft of making ornamental plants has existed for hundreds of years. In the past, families made ornamental plants for their own gardens, before it became a popular trend as it is today.

Mr. Nam did all sorts of jobs, from construction to trading agricultural and forestry products… He wandered through many regions, traveling far and wide in search of a livelihood.

In the early 1980s, he returned to the Muong region to start a new life. Living in the forest, he developed a passion for collecting bonsai trees.

He also connected with many wealthy bonsai dealers in the capital to sell his work. From there, he began to return to the craft of his ancestors in his hometown. During his decades living in the Muong region, he also created many masterpieces.

Mr. Nam has breathed life into bamboo to create works of art. Photo: Thuan Viet

Mr. Nam recounted that back then, banyan trees were highly prized for their ancient appearance and lush greenery all year round.

He had even more opportunities to be creative. In remembrance of the contributions of President Ho Chi Minh - the beloved leader of the entire nation - he used greenery to create an artwork with four words: "Great President Ho Chi Minh".

After three years, he completed his work. Knowing that Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet liked bonsai trees, he returned to Hanoi to visit the Government Office .

After two days in Hanoi, he couldn't find a way to get into the Government Office. He cycled aimlessly through the streets and, by chance, passed by the Vietnam Landscape Architecture Center.

After the conversation, he showed the photos of the trees to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, the Director of the Center. Ms. Thuy was very impressed with his works.

In his garden, Mr. Nam cultivates many different types of bamboo. When the bamboo grows branches, he begins to bend and shape them. Photo: Thuan Viet.

After buying the tree, Ms. Thuy also promised to help him contact the Government Office to donate it. Three years later, he completed another tree and donated it to the Government Office. He received a thank-you letter from the Government Office.

According to Mr. Nam, bending bamboo requires shaping the plant when the shoots are just emerging from the ground, about 10 cm long. It takes 1-3 months from the time the shoots emerge until a plant is completely bent. During that time, the plant must be carefully shaped and bent 3-4 times a day, with each bending only 1-2 mm. Photo: Thuan Viet.

Following that success, he planted, cared for, and pruned the "ASEAN" tree, gifting it to the embassies of ASEAN countries. Unlike the previous time, he went directly to the embassies to present a letter from the Government Office with the purpose of donating the tree. Knowing that his donation was to honor the art of bonsai, the ambassadors treated him with respect. To date, in addition to donating trees to the embassies of ASEAN countries, he has also donated 12 ivory bamboo trees with world maps and the "Dragon Descending" style to 12 other embassies.

Source: https://danviet.vn/mot-nguoi-o-hoa-binh-trong-tre-la-liet-tren-doi-tung-tang-ha-noi-1000-cay-tre-uon-the-long-giang-20240527134433629.htm