The 10th World Bonsai Convention in Kuala Lumpur: tropical bonsai take the stage

The World Bonsai Convention is one of the rare events where the bonsai world meets on a truly international scale. For the 10th edition, held in Kuala Lumpur, Bonsai Empire travelled to Malaysia and came back with a report on an exhibition unlike what we usually see in Europe or the US.

The convention is organised by the WBFF, whose guiding idea is World Peace Through Bonsai. It takes place every four years, with earlier editions in Japan, the United States, Korea, Germany, Puerto Rico, China and Australia. This edition's theme was Unity in Diversity, and the next convention in 2030 is planned for Maastricht in the Netherlands.

The exhibition was the centrepiece, with well over 150 bonsai on display. Tropical species such as Ficus, Wrightia and Bucida showed massive trunks, aerial roots, naturally powerful bases and finely developed crowns. There was also an International Suiseki Exhibition with 63 stones from 10 countries.

I find it exciting that a tradition so tied to temperate species looks this different in the tropics. The article shows the winning trees along with photos and a full video of the event.

Source: Bonsai Empire