Planting a Plane Tree to Attract the Phoenix – Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, Botanical Garden, Montréal, Québec

The City of Beijing China presented a Mosaiculture artwork entitled "Planting plane tree to attract the Phoenix." This work uses miniature flowering begonia plants to depict the Phoenix’s multi-coloured plumage.

In ancient Chinese legend, the Phoenix is the king of birds. People today still consider it the bearer of happiness and a symbol of peace and harmony. Legend has it that at the end of its life, the Phoenix builds a nest which it sets on fire. The phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Associated with the sun, the Phoenix is a part of Chinese culture but also figures in many other traditions, especially among Aboriginal peoples, who know it as the thunderbird.

Just as the phoenix is cyclically regenerated or reborn, so too plane trees regenerate their bark in scales. This tree, with species throughout the northern hemisphere, can live for as long as a thousand years!



For a description of the art of Mosaiculture and of the Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal competition, please turn to the first photo in this series at:

www.ipernity.com/doc/jonathan.cohen/33872015