A northern Vietnamese ficus

[daiviet_nguyen]

Not sure if this is a "bonsai" http://forum.caycanhvietnam.com/diendan/showthread.php?t=20750 -- but it is fun to look at the progression photos. Especially the two men on top of the "bonsai" to trim it.

A typical potted tree in northern Vietnam. Documented historical texts show that this tradition actually dated back to more than 800 years. Quite independent of the Chinese landscape thingy.

[jozaeh]

Hey Daiviet,
Ooh, i'm heading to vietnam in just under two weeks for my first trip there, I might have to find some of these. And the photos are crazy, it seems like it's a rough stone bench that they've planted the tree over? Wow, what a unique tree, I loved the photos, especially the climbing to prune part. thanks for the post!

Jozaeh

[daiviet_nguyen]

Hi Jozaeh,

The containers they use now are usually cement. It seems that at the moment, they compete for the biggest tree!

And this is by far the biggest one I have seen on the net. And admittedly, I found it rather pleasing. Others are quite average.

I have not been back there for 14 years. I am not sure what it is like. I do hope you enjoy your visit there.

Best regards.

[bodhidharma]

Thanks for that Daiviet. Repotting must be a nightmare. I would imagine they would cut them in the pot and just throw new soil in. They have to much time on their hands I do like it though.

[jamec9869]

Such a very amazing link! Thanks you for the post

[Graeme]

True "Chainsaw Bonsai" (imagine applying the Cutpaste ). Who is going to tell them that aint Bonsai? Amazing stuff, thank you for the thread.

[GavinG]

Wonderful spirit. Please show more, we know too little of the Viet tradition.

("Quite independent of the Chinese (landscape) thingy" says everything.)

Gavin

[jozaeh]

Hi Jozaeh,

The containers they use now are usually cement. It seems that at the moment, they compete for the biggest tree!

And this is by far the biggest one I have seen on the net. And admittedly, I found it rather pleasing. Others are quite average.

I have not been back there for 14 years. I am not sure what it is like. I do hope you enjoy your visit there.

Best regards.

Ah thanks Daiviet, i'll so keep an eye out for any awesome horticulturally themed sightings that even remotely approach bonsai while i'm there hey, and try and grab some photos. And hopefully some of my photos might be of some of the places you were at on your last trip too. I think i'll have alot of fun there hey, and alot of rice wine (oh no, i'm so not a big drinker).

jozaeh

[daiviet_nguyen]

Repotting must be a nightmare. I would imagine they would cut them in the pot and just throw new soil in. They have to much time on their hands I do like it though.

-- This would explain why Vietnamese are pint-size Try to move this thing around is a sure way to stunt growers' growth

*
* *

Hi GavinG,

Tree growing and everything else in Vietnam is not known much: the chicken-brain communists have been running the country and people down the ground, that is why.

The one writing in English related to tree growing is:

MOUNTAINS IN THE SEA The Vietnamese Mininature Landscape Art of Hòn Non Bộ, Phan Văn Lít and Lew Buller, TIMBER PRESS, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A, 2001.

The author Mr. Phan Văn Lít is a Vietnamese who lives in the U.S.A. Mr. Lew Buller, also an America, and I have also seen him authored several bonsai writings.

*
* *

Hi jozaeh,

I have not been back for 14 years so I cannot recommend any nurseries or stuff like that. But please do not be shocked if people, especially in the North, price their trees at some unimagineable amount... Over there, they do use trees as a mean of giving money under the table to the corrupted rulers. A, side-kick of a business man, sells a tree to B, a high-ranking, corrupted offcial or a few dollars, B then sells the same tree to C for a ridiculous amount. C even goes to a bank, to get a bank cheque for B.

B would then sign whatever the faceless business man needs. Then brain-dead "journalists" jump in: hence a famous tree!

Cheers.