Bonsai works on exhibit at the 5th Hangzhou Bonsai Exhibition. [Photo/Tide News]

The 15th Hangzhou Bonsai Exhibition and the 2026 Gongshu District Bonsai Artist Skills Competition opened on Oct 23 at the China Knife and Scissors and Sword Museum, part of the Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum complex in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, offering visitors a distinctive blend of museum collections and garden art.

Running until Oct 31, the exhibition features more than 150 bonsai works or sets created by master practitioners. Their twisted trunks, carefully shaped branches, and balanced compositions showcase the craftsmanship and artistic vision behind these miniature landscapes.

At the skills competition, 30 contestants demonstrated their expertise in pruning and wiring trees and recreating mountains and valleys in small pots, with six receiving first, second, or third prizes.

Located near the Grand Canal, the Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum complex preserves traditional craftsmanship, while bonsai embodies the Chinese garden aesthetic of recreating expansive landscapes in miniature. Bringing the competition and exhibition to the museum grounds creates a dialogue between cultural heritage and horticultural art.