TRỊNH HẠ LỄ ／ Vietnam
Age/ 36 years old
Occupation/ Aquarium business
Aquarium Experience/ 12 years
Hobby / Gardening, Architectural Design, Music, Painting, Basketball, and Playing with my children
Past Achievements/
IAPLC2019         221^st place
IAPLC2020         731^st place
IAPLC2021         84^th place

World Ranking 7
Wind and Water
Aquarium Size W120×D50×H50（cm）

Various expressions are created with various stories and backgrounds.

AJ　Please tell us your thoughts on receiving the award.
Two years ago, my city went into lockdown and all activities were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I was unable to see my friends in person, but this year, all activities were back to normal. Two members of my aquarium group, including myself participated in the IAPLC 2022, and the group got together to watch the YouTube announcement of this year’s results. We were all staring at the screen, very nervous and excited when the moderators announced the rankings. When the other member was announced as 14th place, the entire group erupted in cheers. My nerves grew even stronger when they started announcing the 7th place and above. Finally, my name was displayed in the top seven, and for the first time in my four years of participating in the IAPLC, I was able to make it into the top seven. We were very happy to see both of us achieve such high rankings and that all of our hard work and effort had paid off. We will use this as encouragement to continue our passion.

AJ　Please tell us about the theme, motif, idea, etc. of this work.
I wanted to express the movement of an old stream in the forest. I imagined an uneven terrain, with rocks slowly being broken into smaller pieces by the stream. Also, strong winds uprooted trees, and their roots were carried by the stream and caught on large rocks. I expressed such a story.

AJ　What is it about planted aquariums that appeal to you?
I have had a great passion for keeping fish as pets since I was a child. Watching fish swimming around is very relaxing. I think that plantings are a step up from aquariums and make the aquarium look more natural and more vibrant. I also think that aquariums can have different looks depending on the story or background you want to express. In modern times, I think it is essential to bring nature into the home.