Those who "breathe life" into ornamental plants.

(ABO) Thanh Nhut commune, Go Cong Tay district, Tien Giang province, has long been famous as the capital of the Mai Nu ornamental plant village, with the main ornamental plant being the Mai Nu Chieu Thuy - an ancient ornamental plant that brings both economic value and cultural significance.

From this village of apricot blossom trees, many dedicated artisans have emerged, contributing to the widespread fame of Thạnh Nhựt's apricot blossom trees. Furthermore, many families have become prosperous and built successful businesses thanks to these ancient ornamental plants.

30 YEARS DEDICATED TO ANCIENT ORNAMENTAL FLOWERING (MAI NU CHIEU THUY)

That's artisan Le Van Tuoi, residing in Thanh Lac Dong hamlet, Thanh Nhut commune. With a passion for ornamental plants, Mr. Tuoi has continuously researched, learned, and created many antique bonsai works, contributing to building the "brand" of the apricot blossom village in Thanh Nhut commune.

Sharing with us, Mr. Tuoi said that the profession of growing ancient ornamental trees, specifically the dwarf plum blossom, was passed down from his father. He started cultivating ornamental trees when he was only 20 years old. Initially, due to economic constraints that prevented him from collecting beautiful trees, Mr. Tuoi would ask for branches of dwarf plum blossoms with gnarled bark resembling monkey faces to plant and practice bending and shaping them.

Later, guided by experienced bonsai growers on care and shaping techniques, and with his own creativity, Mr. Tươi gradually accumulated a lot of experience in shaping and developing his bonsai garden, which grew larger and larger. Today, his garden has 120 bonsai trees, each valued at tens of millions of dong or more.

Mr. Tuoi takes care of his family's garden of dwarf apricot blossom trees.

According to Mr. Tươi, shaping a bonsai tree always carries a profound philosophical meaning. For example, bonsai trees with the Three Cardinal Principles (ruler-subject principle, husband-wife principle, father-son principle), the Five Constant Virtues (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness), or the Three Obediences (at home, obey the father; after marriage, obey the husband; after the husband's death, obey the son), the Four Virtues (diligence, appearance, speech, and conduct)... Or, in bonsai trees with the Three Cardinal Principles or Five Constant Virtues, a beautiful shape should have the overall form of the tree within an isosceles triangle, representing the uprightness and stability of the family; a large trunk and base, and a small top implying a strong and exemplary family pillar...

It can be said that, through Mr. Tuoi's creative hands, many dwarf apricot blossom trees have been given a new life and their value has been increased many times over. Every day, he dedicates most of his time to his passion, caring for his garden.

Mr. Tuoi added that the Thạnh Nhựt area is blessed by nature, with soil suitable for growing the "mai nu chiếu thủy" (water jasmine) variety. While it's the same "mai nu" variety, growing it elsewhere doesn't yield as many valuable, gnarled specimens as in Thạnh Lạc Đông, Thạnh Nhựt commune. Therefore, he has taken advantage of this, constantly researching and creating many antique bonsai works, contributing to the "brand" of the Thạnh Nhựt "mai nu" bonsai village today.

Many of Mr. Tươi's dwarf apricot trees have high economic value.

Speaking about the techniques for planting and caring for the dwarf plum tree, Mr. Tuoi concluded that to have a beautiful dwarf plum tree garden, growers must have passion and love for this type of tree, understand its value and significance, and then shape and care for the tree in a way that is harmonious with nature. This species prefers goat manure, coconut fiber, and decomposed rice husk ash, and chemical fertilizers should be limited. Maintaining a daily watering schedule to keep the garden moist is also important. In addition, attention should be paid to pest and disease control, and growers should regularly add nutrient-rich soil, prune shoots and branches to ensure the dwarf plum tree develops evenly…

Mr. Tuoi is currently a member of the Ornamental Plants Association of Thanh Nhut commune. He actively participates in the association's activities and wholeheartedly shares his experience in planting and caring for dwarf apricot trees, helping many members and households in the commune to become prosperous by cultivating this type of tree.

With 30 years of experience working with the dwarf plum blossom tree, veteran artisan Le Van Tuoi has created many valuable antique dwarf plum blossom bonsai works, contributing to affirming the brand of "Go Cong dwarf plum blossom" in general and Thanh Nhut commune in particular.

ELEVATING THE VALUE OF MAI NU CHIEU THUY (Apricot Blossom Tree)

Driven by his passion for ornamental plants, Mr. Le Tan Kieu (55 years old), residing in Thanh Lac Dong hamlet, Thanh Nhut commune, has diligently researched, learned, and developed the art of growing ornamental plants, bringing high-quality dwarf apricot blossom trees to export markets, contributing to establishing the brand and creating a reputation for Thanh Nhut dwarf apricot blossom village.

Mr. Kieu takes care of his garden of dwarf apricot blossom trees.

According to Mr. Kieu, after returning to his hometown after completing his military service, he began learning the art of bonsai cultivation from the uncles and elders in his neighborhood. Thanks to his diligence, willingness to learn, and skillful hands, Mr. Kieu quickly learned how to plant, prune, shape, and style dwarf apricot trees and started trading and selling bonsai, mainly dwarf apricot trees.

In addition, to diversify his collection of ornamental plants, Mr. Kieu travels extensively to collect beautiful and economically valuable dwarf plum trees to shape and cultivate them according to traditional bonsai styles. In 2024, Mr. Kieu exported two batches of dwarf plum trees to the Indonesian market, bringing in a significant income from these plants.

Currently, Mr. Kieu's garden has over 200 mature, economically valuable dwarf ...

Besides that, Mr. Kieu is also well-liked by everyone for his gentle nature and willingness to help others. His apricot blossom garden is also the meeting place for the Thanh Lac Dong Hamlet Ornamental Plants Association, with over 70 members, led by Mr. Kieu. The association holds regular monthly meetings to exchange experiences and learn about ornamental plants, helping each other develop their family's economy.

It can be said that artisans Le Van Tuoi and Le Tan Kieu have dedicated almost their entire lives to the craft, contributing to the economic development of their families, establishing their brands, and exporting ornamental bonsai trees abroad. They are the ones who have "breathed life" into these bonsai trees, bringing glory to the traditional craft village...

QUE ANH - KIM LAN

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/nhung-nguoi-thoi-hon-vao-cay-kieng-1038475/