Origin Of Bonsai
History of bonsai 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.
Origin of bonsai. The word bonsai is often used in english as an umbrella term for all miniature trees in containers or pots. This article focuses on the history of bonsai in japan. 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. They further developed the art and made it their own.
Bonsai is a japanese art form using trees grown in containers. The art originates in the chinese empire and was copied and adapted by the japanese to what we know now as bonsai trees. The art of bonsai originated in china some 1000 years back. History and origin of bonsai.
Bonsai comes to japan during the tang dynasty there was a lot of cultural exchange between japan and china and delegates from japan took this art of growing trees in dishes back with them to japan. 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. The term bonsai itself is a japanese pronunciation of the earlier chinese term penzai. Giving it the name we know today bonsai which translates as to train in a tray.
Tray planting pronounced is a japanese art form which utilizes cultivation techniques to produce in containers small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Bonsai is a fascinating art form that combines horticultural techniques and asian aesthetics in a unique way. By the year 700 ad the chinese had started the art of pun sai using special techniques to grow dwarf trees in containers. The art of bonsai was spread by buddhist monks who wished to bring the outdoors inside their temples.
Similar practices exist in other cultures including the chinese tradition of penzai or penjing from which the art originated and the miniature living landscapes of vietnamese hòn. Although the word bon sai is japanese the art it describes originated in the chinese empire. Originally only the elite of the society practiced pun tsai with native collected specimens and the trees where spread throughout china as luxurious gifts. Literally translated bon sai means planted in a container.