WBFF Meritorious Service Awards
Acknowledging Outstanding Contributions
Meritorious Award
Mr. Nikunj Parekh
Mr Nikunj Parekh is a senior, respected Bonsai exponent and Master with the credit of establishing the art of Bonsai in the Indian subcontinent. A Founding Director of the WBFF, Mr Parekh is the President of the Bonsai study Group, a club he co-founded with Mrs Jyoti Parekh, his wife. He set the foundations of establishing theroots of bonsai all over India and has consolidated them over the past four decades.
Meritorious Award
Mr. Hu YunHua
He used to be the director of the Bonsai Research Office of the Shanghai Botanical Garden, the director of the Shanghai Garden Bureau, the vice chairman of the Bonsai Branch of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, and the chairman of WBFF (2009—2013).
He is now WBFF Honorary Chairman and has five Bonsai-published books,
Meritorious Award
Mr. Felix B. Laughin
Felix currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society and on the Society Board of Directors of the North Carolina Arboretum. He also currently serves as Legal Consultant to the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (“WBFF”).
Felix was President of NBF from 1996 to 2018, and Co-President with Jack Sustic from 2018 to 2020 (www.bonsai-nbf.org). From 2001 to 2005, Felix served as Chairman of WBFF.
Meritorious Award
Mr. Lindsay Bebb
His 4-year term as Chairman of WBFF beginning in 2017 was extended by one year because of the Covid epidemic and he subsequently Co-Chaired the first Virtual World Bonsai Convention.
Lindsay has been providing voluntary service to the bonsai community nationally and internationally, continuously for 52 years, and is still active in helping individuals and organizations around the world.
Lindsay currently serves as Patron of the National Bonsai & Penjing Collection of Australia.
Meritorious Award
Mr. Zhang Xiao Bao
Mr. Zhang Xiaobao is one of the most well-known bonsai collectors in China. Mr. Zhang Xiaobao highly praises Japanese bonsai which have profound years of experience and superb creative skills. Mr. Zhang Xiaobao’s bonsai collection is also well-known in the bonsai industry, as he collected many of Japan’s top bonsai.
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Meritorious Award
Professor Amy Liang
As the former President of the NBAT, she was awarded the title of NBAT’s International Lifetime Consultant and Technical Advisor. As the former Chairperson for the ABFF, the WBFF awarded Prof. Liang a “World Bonsai Contributions Award,” engaging Prof. Liang to be the WBFF International Consultant.
Meritorious Award
Mr. Masahiko Kimura
Masahiko Kimura, a Japanese Bonsai Master, was born in Saitama Prefecture in 1940. He is one of the world's top bonsai masters. His bonsai production and maintenance skills have reached a very high level. Some people believe that his works reflect the cultural heritage of Japan: restrained, delicate, implicit and extremely sophisticated. In 1988, 1995, 2000 and 2001, he won the prestigious Prime Minister's Award for many years and has a large number of apprentices in Japan, Europe and the United States. In Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, there is a place named "Bonsai Village". There seems to be a magnificent natural scenery here. "
Meritorious Award
Mr. Zhao Qing Quan
Zhao Qingquan's Chinese name is 赵庆泉. He is a master of the Chinese art of penjing, also known as the Chinese art of bonsai. He is also a Senior Landscape Engineer, International Bonsai Instructor, and International Consultant.
Zhao Qingquan is from Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. He has given lectures and demonstrations of Chinese penjing in many countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Zhao Qingquan is known for pioneering the water-and-land penjing in the 1970s. This form of penjing combines traditional tree penjing and rock penjing by grouping design elements like plants, rocks, and water.
