Orchid 'Knight' Chu Xuan Canh: Return the name to the orchid but silently protect it?

He confided:  "In the past 10 years, there are many species of orchids of Vietnam that were first announced to the world or first recorded in Vietnam. This makes sense in terms of science and also is a record for Vietnam to add new species on the map of orchids and also proves the richness and diversity of plants in Vietnam in general and orchids in particular. I am guilty of inadvertently pushing those species to extinction due to human hunting and exploitation since the flowers of those new species were published. have a better chance of surviving.

From now on I will not introduce any new species of Hairy orchids, I still try to make new records/publishes for Vietnam but will not share any pictures/documents or information about any another new species of Hairy orchid...".

For the last 10 years, many Slipper orchids in Vietnam were introduced to the world by me for the first time or registed that species grow naturely in Vietnam. This is good for Vietnam and shows the diversity of Vietnam's orchids but that also gives the species a lot of challenge from collectors/extinction. I fell very sorry and guilty that somehow I made that species in the danger. If you don't share publishcation or photos of new species, the species migh don't face with over exploitation or close to extinction. From now on I'll never share any photos/publishation of a new species from Vietnam).

Besides, "Orchid Knight" Chu Xuan Canh wishes "Everyone should share the above messages and when they have a chance to find new orchid species  , they should only silently acknowledge it for Vietnam, not publish it. widespread danger to that species..."

In recent years, many scientists and orchid lovers have expressed their grief at the sight of rare and precious endemic orchids of Vietnam being "bleeded" to foreign countries by many different ways. There is orthodoxy, there are small ranks and there is greed and ignorance of some people. Many rare orchid varieties of Vietnam have been announced abroad. The hunt for this noble regal flower has inadvertently pushed the national plant resources into extinction.

Among the joint efforts of scientists, artisans, entrepreneurs, and gardeners are the contributions of "Orchid Knight" Chu Xuan Canh. Just like other playgrounds of ornamental creatures (Trees, Flowers, Rocks, Fish, Birds, Art Driftwood...), most of them are enthusiasts and voluntarily stick with this hobby as a determination. fate!

Among the thousands of enthusiasts at the Exhibition, I felt "feeling" for a young man my age who always took dozens of pictures of each flower at different angles. It seems that my instincts tell me: "he is a special geek among orchid enthusiasts". I lazily lay down on the grass to record the moments that he was putting all on the delicate orchid petals (Unknowingly, I was also photographed by another person the moment I was working).

Finding information through colleagues and the press, I discovered that the person whom I had a professional affection for at first sight was "Knight Lan" Chu Xuan Canh. The person who was recognized by the American Orchid Association (AOS) in 2010 was the first person in the world to discover a strange kind of comedy and named this orchid after him: "Paphiopedilum banhii" that many people know. or called Lan Canh for short.

At the end of the exhibition, I invited him to have dinner with his relatives from Binh Phuoc to attend the event of friends spreading across the country. The special thing is that Lan Canh is also the name of my family and friends in the party. Indeed, I did not look at the wrong person. Shaking his hand, we poured our hearts out and shared the same opinion: "People who are too passionate about a certain hobby are unusually crazy. In them, there is no motive for fame and profit other than passion for the profession. Their excessive enthusiasm sometimes causes others to misunderstand. They don't care what others think of them, but will always find the best way to achieve the highest satisfaction for their passion. true passion".

Chu Xuan Canh has had a love for flowers that only bloom beautifully in these high and pure places like the orchid for more than 20 years. He has overcome many difficulties, even deadly dangers, during his travels in the forest looking for the beauty of the orchid branches.

He confided, “Nearly a decade ago, on a forest trip, as soon as I came out of a thorn bush, my head was stuck in a tangled mess. Raising his hand to wipe it down, he discovered that it was a very large honeycomb that was covering his head. I just know how to slide and run. Fortunately, I was able to run into a dark cave nearby. Bees are inherently afraid of the dark, so they do not dare to fly into the cave. It was only a few minutes after the bees had flown away. I came out of the cave, sat down to rest so that my companions could spit out the bees that were pinned all over the head and on the body. 2 hours later, the fever started to torment, I don't know what else. At that time, my entire head and face were swollen and no one could recognize it, fortunately, my physical strength was good, so it was not so life-threatening. It is true that one time sucked to death because of orchids…!”.

For him, the times when he fell while going to the forest, climbing the mountain looking for Orchid was a normal thing. However, the time he was stung by a bee made him remember the most because after nearly ten years, he still couldn't forget his "funny" face after waking up from that bee sting!

Passionate about collecting and "playing" Orchid for a long time, but he said, in the small yard in front of the house, there are only popular and easy-to-grow orchids. Many kinds of Orchid you find but do not bring home to grow, but often find a suitable environment to propagate and maintain genetic resources, rare orchid varieties. For him, finding and preserving orchids in the natural environment is much more important than owning those beautiful orchids. Therefore, it is during forest trips that he often advises and guides indigenous people, Orchid hunters... how to get Orchid and still ensure its growth and reproduction in its natural environment. . With precious orchids, he often takes the initiative or finds an acquaintance, who is also an Orchid lover who has a nursery suitable for growing conditions to entrust,Breeding without even asking to own those rare orchids.

Canh is not only passionate, he is also very aware of the responsibility of nature conservation, preserving precious Orchid species for beautiful forests. He also passed on to his son his love for wild nature in general and Orchid in particular. Whenever possible, he would take his eldest son to the forest with him. “The young generation needs to have a love for nature and the environment and to know how to protect the environment. Nothing is more effective than letting children blend in with nature to understand and be aware of that value and love!”.

He was also highly appreciated by the international scientific community when he made a suggestion: not to provide specific geographical indications (Coordinates) of the rare orchid that he had just discovered to avoid hunting and appropriation. "green property" of nature, disrupting the ecological balance. He is ready to present evidence and when necessary he can lead them to the deep forest where the flower resides.

Perhaps those who love flowers, collect and play orchids, everyone wants to have their own flowers, but not everyone has that luck. According to international convention, the scientific name of a species usually consists of two parts (Latin name), the first part is the name of the genus (capitalized the first letter) and the rest (lowercase) indicates a characteristic of the species or has could be the name of the finder, the place where the species was found. Same with Orchid. In Vietnam today there are more than 1,400 different species of orchids. "Paphiopedilum Canhii" is one and is the first of a few species of Orchid to be scientifically named after a Vietnamese person who discovered this beautiful new orchid.

In 2009, by luck, Mr. Canh accidentally discovered this rare orchid in the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam. The "Paphiopedilum chungii" orchid lives on high cliffs, is difficult to access and also difficult to grow in lowland weather conditions. Because of that, from the discovery of the precious orchid until the completion of the profile and registration of new species names in the world. Mr. Canh had to go home many times and work hard for more than two years to record, photograph, document and fully study the life and development through each stage of the species in nature. At the same time, samples were also taken and sent for genetic assessment of new species through an intermediary scientific agency abroad. The joy is indescribable when the results have confirmed that this is a new species, only found for the first time in Vietnam.

Currently, "Orchid Knight" Chu Xuan Canh is cherishing the publication of a book to publish the latest documents on Vietnamese forest orchids in general, and Vietnamese Comedy orchids in particular, so that friends from all over the world know about a new land. The country has the most biodiversity in the world like Vietnam and there are people with a burning passion to contribute to preserving, preserving and developing the masterpieces of nature for the forever green planet. sustainable life!