There was a story in our local paper today about the auction of
the bankrupt "Splendid China" tourist attraction in Kissimmee,
Florida starting today through Saturday. The attraction was a
short-lived failure, bankrolled at least in part by the mainland
Chinese government.

What caught my eye in the story was several references to
"bonsai trees ragged with neglect" which are among the items to
be auctioned. Other items include 100 koi, a ceramics kiln,
various temple statuary, flagstones, terra cotta figures
(presumably modelled after the famous funerary warriors), pond
filtration equipment, and a miniature of the great wall of China
(in case you have an acre or so to put it on). Art
reproductions, etc. also are on sale, along with a 20-foot
statue of what is called in the article, Kwan Yin (Guanyin) -
though the newspaper indicated the statue has "many bronze arms
and eyes" which sounds a bit odd for her.

The auction website is http://www.kincaid.com/china/china.html
and while there's no overt mention of bonsai on the site it
seems the "landscaping stuff, including Koi, etc. will go on
Saturday (BUT that is just a guess!). (The newspaper article in
its original form from the nearby Orlando Sentinel is also
there.)

So, even if the trees themselves are beyond help this may be an
opportunity for some folks in the area to pick up some fairly
large (presumably) bonsai pots for almost nothing.

If nothing else, the visit might be fun. Wish I could make it.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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