Sowing a bond with bonsai and the journey to establish a unique museum
Born and raised in a family with a tradition of making bonsai in Sa Dec flower village (Dong Thap), Nguyen Phuoc Loc fell in love with the bonsai profession when he was a teenager. In 1986, when the country began to enter the period of renovation, his mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phu, opened a kiosk specializing in selling bonsai. Since then, the boy Loc has been accustomed to helping his mother with artisans to fix trees, interacting with classic bonsai and gradually learning how to shape and prune.
In the early 1990s, the bonsai movement in the South began to develop strongly, especially after Vietnam opened up, receiving the first influences from Japanese bonsai art. At that time, Nguyen Phuoc Loc was studying at university in Saigon. While studying, he also took the opportunity to integrate into the bonsai community here. Thanks to his family's solid foundation, his approach to bonsai creation techniques happened very quickly.
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| Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc (in white shirt) with visitors at Sa Dec bonsai museum. |
Not only studying, he also became a bridge between Saigon and Sa Dec. He often transported precious bonsai trees from the city back to his hometown, both to sell for his mother and to share with the bonsai-loving community in the Mekong Delta. Thanks to that, the bonsai movement spread strongly in this fertile land.
Although in the early days there were still shortages of tools, plant care products or grafting techniques, with his constant efforts and inquisitive spirit, Nguyen Phuoc Loc gradually conquered the difficulties. The Tao Dan Spring Flower Festival held in 1988 with the first bonsai works displayed was an important milestone that made him believe that this art could go further in Vietnam.
One of the major turning points in his career was a pair of ancient bonsai trees modified in the "Four Faces of Heaven, Earth and Human" style, which he owned since 1993. Passed down through many generations, the pair of bonsai trees has special value in both technique and aesthetics. After 20 years of care and shaping, in 2013, this pair of trees was recognized by the Vietnam Record Organization as the oldest pair of bonsai trees in Vietnam, valued at up to 1 million USD.
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| Two oldest ornamental tamarind tree in Vietnam. |
From that milestone, Nguyen Phuoc Loc continued to invest, collect and create more valuable bonsai. The greatest achievement is the Sa Dec Bonsai Museum, a project he considers a "spiritual home" for Vietnamese bonsai art. The museum is divided into three exhibition areas: works that have achieved national records; works representing 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta; and a collection of typical bonsai of Sa Dec. This is not only a place to preserve cultural values but also a space to connect passions and spread the quintessence of Vietnamese bonsai craft.
Opportunities, challenges and future of Vietnamese bonsai art
Although he is a veteran artisan, Nguyen Phuoc Loc always emphasizes that Vietnamese bonsai is still in the "initial stage" on the international map. According to him, the biggest challenge of the profession today is the lack of professionalism and not being recognized as a key economic sector. "We have not yet considered bonsai as an official business product, nor have we had a master plan for export or systematic training of artisans," Mr. Loc shared.
Bonsai production is still small-scale, with players following their personal preferences and paying little attention to the needs of the international market. Meanwhile, countries like Japan, Taiwan and Thailand have developed a systematic bonsai ecosystem for a long time, even training a new generation of artisans to inherit the cultural heritage.
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| The Lộc Vừng (Barringtonia acutangula) masterpiece “Long Phúc Lâm Môn” has set a unique national record in Vietnam. |
However, according to artisan Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Vietnam has many advantages that few countries have. The favorable climate helps shorten the time to nurture bonsai trees from 20 years (in Japan) to about 10 years. At the same time, Vietnam possesses many indigenous tree species such as mai chieu thuy, linh sam, sam nui... endemic species that many international artisans seek. This is a "natural treasure" if exploited properly.
In addition, Mr. Loc said that the international market is lacking in bonsai artisans. Vietnam, with its young and skillful human resources, can completely become a "stronghold" supplying artisans for the Asia-Pacific region. He himself has sent many students to Japan and Taiwan to work and study, opening up new promising directions for the next generation.
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| The Ficus bonsai (Sanh) tree with the largest canopy diameter in Vietnam. |
To realize this potential, the Sa Dec Bonsai Museum is actively training artisans, organizing regular classes from basic to advanced. In particular, Mr. Loc also coordinates with local schools to make bonsai a profession that can be taught and trained formally. “Bonsai cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence. This is a profession of emotions, of hands. And it is also a career opportunity with a good income - from 500,000 VND/day for beginners - if properly trained”, Mr. Loc shared.
As a former Chairman of the Sa Dec City Ornamental Plants Association and a National Ornamental Plants Artist, Nguyen Phuoc Loc affirmed: if there is synchronous coordination between the government, associations and professionals, Vietnamese bonsai art can completely reach the world level. He believes that "a bonsai tree can bring economic value ten times that of a rice flower", if developed in the right direction.
With a passion for preserving and developing the bonsai profession, artisan Nguyen Phuoc Loc is quietly building a "bonsai temple" not only for himself, but also for future generations - those who love beauty, love tranquility and understand the soul of Vietnamese trees.
