Create a dragon mascot from bonsai

Ben Tre Dragon mascot is created by artisans of Cho Lach flower village using bonsai, priced from several tens of thousands to 50 million VND each to display during the Tet Giap Thin.

For over a week now, the yard of Ms. Cao Thi Tuyet, 60 years old, in Hung Khanh Trung B commune, Cho Lach district has been bustling with workers carrying kumquat bushes full of fruit to gather. Her family used to only grow kumquat bushes to sell for Tet. Over 10 years ago, they experimented with using kumquat bushes to create mascots, and seeing a stable output, they have continued to maintain the profession until now.

Next to that, Ms. Tuyet’s husband is using a welding machine to weld iron bars to create a dragon-shaped frame. After the frame is placed in the pot, workers carefully use wire to tie the wrong branches together, adjusting them for balance and aesthetics. In addition to the dragon’s mane, dorsal fin and tail, which are shaped from painted mica, the dragon’s horns and beard are made from the roots of the Barringtonia acutangula tree and the fruit of the Tamanu tree, which are abundant in the area.

According to folk beliefs, dragons are a symbol of good luck, so in previous years, even though it was not the Year of the Dragon, her family still made more than 10 dragons from bonsai trees to sell. This year, she increased the number of dragon shapes to 50, because the demand for dragon-shaped bonsai trees for Tet will increase.

Ms. Tuyet creates dragon shapes from kumquats to sell for Tet. Photo: Hoang Nam — Ms. Tuyet creates dragon shapes from kumquats to sell for Tet. Photo: *Hoang Nam*

"Apart from the tiger, dragons are also difficult to shape because the face needs to have a 'spirit'," said Ms. Tuyet, adding that each pair of dragons shaped from bonsai costs from 2 to 8 million VND. On average, a person can complete 2-3 small dragons about 1.2 m long per day. A 4.5 m long dragon takes twice as long to construct.

Near Ms. Tuyet’s house, Mr. Nguyen Duy Tan is also taking care of more than 20 pairs of dragons shaped from kumquats, waiting for traders to come and pick them up. According to Mr. Tan, this year’s little rain is very favorable for kumquat trees. Since the 5th lunar month, gardeners have started planting kumquat bushes to prepare for creating the dragon mascot.

The garden owner said that in addition to the main traders from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, due to economic difficulties this year, gardeners have had to proactively sell ornamental plants through social networks. "After buying, bonsai kumquats only need to be watered enough to be able to play for more than a month," said Mr. Tan.

Bonsai pots shaped like dragon mascots are sold along the road in Hung Khanh Trung B commune, Cho Lach district. Photo: Hoang Nam — Bonsai pots shaped like dragon mascots are sold along the road in Hung Khanh Trung B commune, Cho Lach district. Photo: *Hoang Nam*

About 2 km away, on Highway 57, many pairs of dragons shaped like green trees have also begun to be displayed. This is one of the oldest and largest bonsai gardens in Ben Tre. The garden owner said the smallest dragon shape is 3 meters, the largest is 50 meters, priced from 3 to 50 million VND.

Cho Lach flower village is one of the two largest ornamental flower farms in the West, covering 600 hectares, with 3,000 households growing flowers and fruit trees, producing 15-17 million flowers and ornamental plants for Tet each year. In addition to large animal bonsai, this year, according to records at ornamental plant establishments in Cho Lach, there are also mini dragons shaped from apricot flowers and pine leaves priced at 75,000-150,000 VND per pot, suitable for the budget of ordinary customers.

Dr. Bui Thanh Liem, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cho Lach District, said that this year due to the difficult economic situation, people's purchasing power is forecast to decrease by about 30% compared to previous years. The price of mascot animals is quite high, so this year the quantity has also decreased by about half.

"Currently, the locality has not been affected by severe drought and salinity as predicted, but people should not be subjective but need to proactively store water to cope," said Mr. Liem.

Hoang Nam

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