Kadayawan Festival Bonsai Show in Davao City
The Art of Bonsai & Suiseki August 2022 in Davao City – Kadayawan Festival Bonsai Show
The Art of Bonsai & Suiseki
A Bonsai And Suiseki Exhibit & Competition by the Davao Bonsai Societyimage credits to SM Lanang FB Page
This month of August, another great bonsai show happening in Davao City, Mindanao. Our talented Dabawenyo bonsai artists are once again showcasing over a hundred majestic bonsai masterpieces as part of the Kadayawan Festival Bonsai Show. The said event will take place in SM Lanang, Davao City. (See map for directions) In partnership with the Philippine Bonsai Society and Davao Bonsai Society. The exhibit runs today until Aug 21 here at Second Level, Northwing.
What is Kadayawan Festival?
This highly anticipated occasion requires a lot of preparation because it is one of the most important annual celebrations that take place in the Philippines. It is a real cornerstone of the culture of Davao, bringing together tourists and locals alike for an evening filled with delicious cuisine, refreshing drinks, lively music, and dancing in the streets! What’s not to adore about it?
A festival of flowers
You can be sure that the Kadayawan Festival in Davao has something to offer each and every one of its attendees, from the beautiful floral float parades to the lively street dancing. Continue reading to find out more about the origins of this tradition as well as the holidays that will be observed around the Philippines in celebration of the Kadayawan Festival.
A festival for an abundant harvest
The word “madayaw,” which comes from the Mandaya language and means prized or priceless, is where the event gets its name. During this time, the inhabitants give appreciation to the abundant crop that the season has brought. In days gone by, the various ethnic groups that made up Davao’s population would get together to celebrate the city’s bountiful harvest by carrying out ceremonies that paid homage to the gods of nature.
They used to display a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, flowers, rice, and maize grains in front of their homes and on their mats as a gesture of respect for the prosperous year that they had just completed. In addition to singing and dancing, they used to do so back then, just as they do now.
Brief History of Kadayawan Festival
In the 1970s, the Mayor of Davao at the time, Elias B. Lopez, urged the various Davao tribes to demonstrate their respective thanksgiving ceremonies. During the troubled years of the Martial Law regime, the local government of Davao City, Philippines, initiated a program in 1986 with the intention of bringing the populace together.
Back in those days, the celebration was known as Apo Duwaling, named after three of the natural attractions that can be seen in the area: Mount Apo, Durian, and Waling-waling.
It was initially officially renamed the Kadayawan Festival in 1988 by then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and it is still being held today, over 30 years after it was first called.
On the other hand, this event is more than simply an exhibition of bonsai; it is also a competition that will determine which bonsai creations are the most impressive. We hope that all of our fellow bonsai artists in Davao City have a successful competition. Please scroll down to get a preview of some of the trees that will be present at the aforementioned event.
Sampaloc – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
Bougainvilla bonsai – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
Bonsai trees – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
Suiseki – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
Tugas bonsai – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
tugas over rock – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
Bonsai – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
bantigue – Kadayawan SM Lanang Bonsai Show
I am far away from Davao City but with the help of our friends in the community, I was able to get some shots from the said event. You may check out this Facebook post for more amazing bonsai tree pictures.
Final Thoughts
It just so happened that I forgot to feature this kind of bonsai event in the blog. In all honesty, I do recall the time that I highlighted the SANIB Pwersa Bonsai Show either in 2019 or soon before the epidemic. When you go to events like this one, you can almost always count on having a sensation of exhilaration. And I’m confident that those that are interested in bonsai will understand what I mean by saying that.
