A bonsai cultivation garden in Guzhuang community, Rugao, Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Guzhuang community in Rugao's Rucheng sub-district is known as a "bonsai village", with over 2,000 residents engaged in the floriculture industry. Over the years, the community has turned the bonsai industry into a significant source of wealth, with the average disposable income of residents surpassing 40,000 yuan ($5,606.23) last year.

Almost every household in Guzhuang has its own courtyard, cultivating lush gardens featuring trees like yew plum pines and plum trees.

Local bonsai expert Li Lyule, who owns a bonsai industrial park, highlighted the growing popularity of miniature bonsai due to their smaller size and lower cost compared to traditional bonsai. Li has begun collaborating with a Zhejiang-based company to develop bonsai-themed products like coasters, umbrellas, and mouse pads, making bonsai culture more accessible in everyday life.

Li has also embraced social media, garnering 100,000 followers on Douyin, a short video platform, by live-streaming bonsai cultivation techniques and selling products. To expand his reach, Li has partnered with a Russian influencer to promote bonsai culture in Russia.

Li's team has successfully developed a packaging technology and materials that are inorganic, sterile, and non-toxic, overcoming transportation challenges and export inspection hurdles. As a result, Rugao bonsai are now being exported to countries including Indonesia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.