Crafted: Visitors attend the fifth Asia-Pacific Bonsai Festival that kicked off yesterday at Rin Rin Park, a Japanese cultural site, in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu

HCM CITY (VNS)— The fifth Asia-Pacific Bonsai Festival kicked off yesterday at Rin Rin Park, a Japanese cultural site, in HCM City featuring 500 bonsai from 17 countries and territories.

The four-day festival includes ancient, classical and contemporary styles, bonsai with flowers and fruits, among others.

Besides bonsai, the festival also includes Penjing and Suiseki (miniature scenes made of carved stone and wood), bonsai demonstrations, ornamental creature auctions and music performances.

Local and international artisans will also perform bonsai-making techniques and engage with bonsai experts from around the world.

The biennial festival is held rotationally among the Asia-Pacific Bonsai Friendship Federation's eight members — Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Chinese Taiwan, Viet Nam, Singapore, and the Philippines — to promote and popularise the bonsai art in the region.

This year's festival, the first and biggest international bonsai festival in Viet Nam, attracted artisans from France, India, Italy, the US and the Czech Republic.

The park is located in Xuan Thoi Dong Commune in Hoc Mon Mon District. — VNS