Page 11 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2013Q3

At the closing ceremony Hu Yunhua, Chairman of the World Bonsai Friendship Federa- Tom Elias, president of BCI presenting I.C. Su with the BCI Distinguished Service
tion presenting BCI president Tom Elias with a plaque with greetings and best wishes Award at the closing ceremonies.
to BCI on the convention in Yangzhou. .

The demonstrations, with the exception of Hu Yunhua who gave a lecture on bonsai and Middle right; Hu Yunhua gave a superb lecture to a packed
penjing, and Chiara Padrini who gave a lecture on stones, both of which were held in auditorium on penjing. He talked about the different
separate halls, were all located on an enormous lawn in individually constructed gazebo- types of penjing and gave many fine examples of excel-
lent penjing and contrasted those with examples of poor
like structures, each with ornate Chinese-style roofs. Demonstrators performing over quality trees. This helped people appreciate the qualities
the two days comprised a great deal of international talent, namely: of great trees.
Kunio Kobayashi (Japan), Lo Min-Hsuan (Taiwan), Cheng Cheng-Kung (Taiwan), Bottom right; Chiara Padrini gave a comprehensive lecture
Lindsay Bebb (Australia), David De Groot (U.S.A.), Budi Sulistyo (Indonesia) and on Suiseki in Europe with an overview of the work of
collectors from Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia,
bonsai masters from China comprising Hu Leguo, Ng Shing-Fat (Hong Kong), Liu Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal and of course,
Chuangang, Zhao Qingquan together with the notable Chinese potter, Gong Linmin. from Italy.
The demonstrators worked in three-hour stints, giving the many hundreds present
an opportunity to see every kind of material worked upon. If there was a problem,
it stemmed from the enthusiasm of the audience, with far too many people trying to
watch the demonstrators at work. It was difficult to restrain the enthusiasm and in some
instances, the crowds had to be prevented from mounting the stage thus stopping others
from viewing the proceedings!
The results, in almost all cases, were some spectacular trees. The material the demon-
strators had to work on was large and of a great variety of species. In most cases they
were previously styled material that had been allowed to grow out for many years – the
demonstrators had scope to produce very stunning results in three to four hours.
That first hectic, activity-filled day finished with the Welcome Banquet and 50 Years of
BCI Anniversary Celebrations located in the splendor of the Yangzhou Guest Hotel.
Around 200 guests assembled in the luxury of the banqueting hall, ballroom to be roy-
ally fed and entertained by the City of Yangzhou. The inevitable speeches, by everyone
of significance, was followed by a kaleidoscope of color from dancers, musicians and
singers in every conceivable incandescent color you can dream of. This was all captured
on video and projected onto a gigantic screen to the extent we were completely over-
whelmed by a cacophony of sound and color.
The evening culminated with a vast three-foot highly elaborate and iced birthday cake
to celebrate the occasion. The inevitable candle blowing and exchanging of awards to
commemorate the occasion ensued and finally collapsed in humor as the giant cake
became a mass of cream as it was cut and portions handed around.
Day Two dawned rather cooler and cloudier and appeared to threaten rain. Another
morning at the exhibition site and further demonstrations with the crowds rather more
controlled that on the previous day.
The afternoon saw us all taken by coach to visit two famous and ancient Chinese clas-
sical gardens, Ge Garden and He Garden, both extremely beautiful and as one would
expect, totally Chinese—a riot of color, mostly pinks and reds, forty-foot high bamboos,
rocks and water features to die for. In all, a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon for
inspiration, not to try to re-create!

July/August/September 2013 | BCI | 9