Page 14 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2018Q1

Top; View of bonsai exhibit
and pot exhibit at the National
Museum of Natural Science’s
Oval Plaza.
Middle left; Left to right:
Dr. Giorgio Prosdocimi
Gianquinto, Chairman,
International Society for
Horticultural Science
Commission on Landscape
and Urban Horticulture; Dr.
Hsueh-Shih Lin, Chairman,
Taiwan Society for Horticultural
Science and Director, Taichung
District Agricultural Research 2017 International letter, the organizing committee explained their
and Extension Station;
Dr. Sheng-Chung Huang, Symposium on motive for the symposium: To promote horticultural
Taiwan Plant Conservation bonsai science, as well as facilitate an exchange of
Foundation; and Dr. Hsin-Fu knowledge on a global scale. Home to a large and ever
Yen, Associate Researcher, Bonsai growing bonsai industry, Taiwan has all the resources
National Museum of Natural and personnel to host such and event. The organizing
Science. By Joe Grande, Canada
Middle right; Min-Hsuan Lo and scientific committees included representatives
delivering his Oral Session of the Taiwan Society for Horticultural Science; The
presentation on his research or convention participants curious about National Museum of Natural Science; the National
on developing Ficus in the the scientific process in bonsai, a short and Bonsai Association of Taiwan; Horticulture and
form evocative of the Banyan Fpleasant ten-minute walk from the Splendor Landscape Department, National Taiwan University;
at the National Cheng Kung Hotel through downtown Taichung and the park-like Taiwan Plant Conservation Foundation; Department
University grounds.
grounds of the National Museum of Natural Science, of Science and Technology, Council of Agriculture;
led to a very special part of the conference, the 2017 and the International Society for Horticultural
International Symposium on Bonsai. In their welcome Science.
They invited researchers, technicians and bonsai
“One of the great successes in Taiwan is that good bonsai can be created artists from all over the world to participate in a
in 10 to 15 years if there is sufficient knowledge, know-how and proper three-day symposium. The event was held at the
materials. The work is carried out by specialists in several stages. National Museum of Natural Science, in Taichung, a
Some start the cuttings for the first stage of development, followed by modern facility with state-of-the-art lecture theatre,
others that cultivate the trees for fast growth and increase thickness. a large, Oval Plaza ringed with a portico —a perfect
In a third stage, the trees are grown as prebonsai to remove scars or place for a bonsai exhibit —and a large main entrance
improve primary and secondary branch structure. All this, before they hall where the live demonstrations were held.
reach the final stage to become bonsai. To achieve this fast and efficient On the morning of November 5, the symposium
progress, each group uses specific substrates, water amount, particular started with keynote speeches on The Impact of
fertilization regimes and proper space. In most other places, bonsai Climate on Bonsai Care in Eastern Europe and A
people try to make all stages from beginning to the end, and this is not Comparative Study of the Artistic Features of Chinese
so efficient, as we tend to use more of a general mix for all. This results Penjing and Japanese Bonsai. At the same time, the big
in a reduced growth and overall development that can have a significant entrance hall hosted two demonstrations that lasted
delay up to 10 times slower progress. Excellent bonsai like those in the all morning and one demonstration in the afternoon.
exhibit show additional character that develops slowly over time. The After lunch, we heard country reports about the state
exhibition showed trees with more than 50 years of work.” of bonsai in the USA, Israel, Taiwan, Singapore, India
—Enrique Castaño, Mexico. and Japan. The report on Israel by Moshe Emergui
was fascinating. Did you know that tree planting is
a national passion in Israel? Moshe explained that

12 | BCI | January/February/March 2018