Page 18 - BCI Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Q1 2025

Building Bonds Through Bonsai
Friendship and Cooperation Agreements
at Baowen Garden
By Tony Bebb, Australia
I was honored
to sign
friendship and
cooperation
agreements
on behalf of
the Brisbane
International
Bonsai School
with Mr. Chen
and Baowen
Garden, as well
as with Mr.
Huang Lianhui
and the BCI
Landscape
Bonsai
Museum.
16 Recently, I had the privilege of traveling with my
wife, Keiko, to China as an invited International
Demonstrator and Judge for the 1st BCI China
Landscape Bonsai Invitational Convention. Held in
conjunction with the 13th Liuzhou Viewing Stone
Fantastic Festival in Guangxi Province, this event offered
an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the
artistry of Chinese landscape bonsai.
This was only my second visit to China since the
WBC in 2013, and I was particularly excited to study
the methods of Chinese Landscape Bonsai Masters.
Landscape bonsai holds a special place in my heart—
it was the first style I attempted at age 13, and it has
remained a lifelong passion. Unlike in Japan or the
| BCI | January/February/March 2025
West, where this form is less prevalent, it is a deeply
rooted aspect of Chinese bonsai tradition and culture.
A Warm Reunion
Arriving in Guangzhou, we were greeted by familiar
faces and long-time acquaintances from the bonsai
community, including many I had previously known
only through social media. It felt like a grand reunion.
The following day, we boarded a high-speed train to