Life breathing in raw bonsai roots
Mr. Dzung shared that to achieve the success he has today, he had to overcome many difficulties and challenges. However, it is his special love for bonsai art – especially the ability to shape rough tree roots into water hyacinths and maps of Vietnam – that has helped him persevere in pursuing his passion to the end. Not only is he attached to bonsai, he also has a talent for restoring antiques using traditional lime-molasses techniques.
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| The art of creating shapes from bonsai is very valuable. |
After graduating from high school, Dzung faced many choices for his future. Instead of going to university, working abroad or learning a proper bonsai profession, he chose a more difficult path: Working for hire to save money to pursue his passion. With a creative mindset, Dung learned on his own and started with small jobs such as making and painting 4-5 meter high water hyacinths for pagodas, with the wish to pray for peace. From there, he came up with the idea of creating water hyacinths from bonsai and named his first work "Binh An" - meaning luck and happiness, and associated with the name of his hometown where he was born.
To create a beautiful bonsai work, he must first shape the steel frame, then grow the tree, shape it and apply the techniques of pruning, bending, grafting... This process requires meticulousness and a long time. In particular, creating a map of Vietnam is even more difficult than water hyacinth, because it requires many steps and time to care for and shape, up to 5 years or more.
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| Create a map of Vietnam with unique bonsai. |
Although he had to sell hundreds of beautiful trees due to financial constraints and lack of land to care for them, now that he is more stable, he has decided to keep the works to nurture them into larger trees with higher artistic value. Many customers have placed orders but he does not sell them because he wants to spend his time investing fully in each work. Recently, he has developed a project, submitted the works to the Vietnam Record Association to compete and prepare a dossier for recognition as an artisan.
Restoring ancient values
In addition to his passion for bonsai, Mr. Dzung also has a talent for restoring antiques, especially vases and pots from the 1930s. Thanks to his talent and sophistication, he is trusted by many antique collectors. Many people from all over, especially the North such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, have come to him to restore rare items.
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| Tran Doan Dzung is also a craftsman specializing in restoring antiques with traditional lime and honey. |
According to him, antiques not only have material value but also spiritual value, are memories associated with history and family tradition. Ancient bonsai pots made of lime, seashells or ceramics shaped like mascots that are nearly 100 years old are priceless. When chipped or damaged, restoring them is almost a mission to preserve time.
He shared that before restoring, one must clearly understand the original material, then shape it to look exactly like the old model. Although it may seem simple at first glance, each step requires technique, meticulousness and care. Many people, because they trust his skills, do not hesitate to transport large pots to his place for restoration. The restoration time can take 2-3 days for light pots, and if the damage is severe, it will take longer.
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| Antique bonsai pots made from traditional lime and honey materials from the 1930s. |
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (70 years old), a relative, shared: “At first, the family's economy was difficult. Seeing my grandson working hard for hire, saving every penny to invest in taking care of the trees, I also advised him to choose a stable job to make a living. But he was very dedicated and persistent with his passion, and gradually he got results. Now I am somewhat reassured, I just hope that the local government will pay attention and support him so that he has the conditions to develop further.”
Dzung is a simple, gentle young man, always welcoming everyone with warmth and enthusiasm. He does not hesitate to share his experiences with those who share the same passion, because more than anyone, he understands that starting a business in a poor rural area is not easy, especially when choosing a path less traveled. While many young people leave their hometowns to find work in the city, people like Tran Doan Dzung who do business effectively from their passion right in their homeland really need to be given the conditions to develop.
