Bonsai (nonfiction)

The earliest illustration of a penjing is found in the Qianling Mausoleum murals at the Tang-dynasty tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai, dating to 706.

Bonsai (盆栽?, lit. plantings in tray, from bon, a tray or low-sided pot and sai, a planting or plantings, is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers.

Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ. The Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years, and has its own aesthetics and terminology.

"Bonsai" is a Japanese pronunciation of the earlier Chinese term penzai.

A "bon" is a tray-like pot typically used in bonsai culture.

The purposes of bonsai are primarily contemplation (for the viewer) and the pleasant exercise of effort and ingenuity (for the grower).

Fiction cross-reference

• Great Sequoia of Hokkaido
• Mega-bonsai

Nonfiction cross-reference

External links:

• Bonsai @ Wikipedia
• Bonsai @ commons.wikimedia.org