Bonsai Origin

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.

Bonsai origin. Bonsai is a japanese art form using trees grown in containers. Literally translated bon sai means planted in a container. The term bonsai may be loosely used to reference the art of making miniature scale trees but actually it is more than an art form. History and origin of bonsai.

The term bonsai itself is a japanese pronunciation of the earlier chinese term penzai. While the art of bonsai has long been associated with japan it actually originated first in china and then spread eastward to korea and then japan. This art form is derived from an ancient chinese horticultural practice part of which was then redeveloped under the influence of japanese zen buddhism. By the year 700 ad the chinese had started the art of pun sai using special techniques to grow dwarf trees in containers.

The word bon sai often misspelled as bonzai or banzai is a japanese term which literally translated means planted in a container. The art originates in the chinese empire and was copied and adapted by the japanese to what we know now as bonsai trees. Bonsai is a japanese art form that has transcended from the chinese art of penjing over a thousand years ago. Although the word bon sai is japanese the art it describes originated in the chinese empire.

Originating in the chinese empire bonsai is a fascinating and unique art form combining asian aesthetics and horticultural techniques. This article focuses on the history of bonsai in japan. Originally only the elite of the society practiced pun tsai with native collected specimens and the trees where spread throughout china as luxurious gifts. Intentionally dwarfed potted tree 1914 from japanese bon basin pot sai to plant see definitions of bonsai.

Bonsai is a fascinating art form that combines horticultural techniques and asian aesthetics in a unique way.