Misplaced Pages

#386613

39-508: Covering 81.86 hectares, the garden has a renowned penjing garden, as well as collections of magnolias, roses, azaleas, peonies, conifers, maples, osmanthus and bamboo. The Shanghai Botanical Garden was established in 1974, and is located on the site of Longhua Nursery. The largest municipal botanic garden in China, it has won prizes in the Netherlands and Canada with plant displays. The garden

78-476: A Lingnan school founder, held the first exhibition of artistic pot plants jointly with Mr. Liu Fei Yat in Hong Kong in 1968. This was a display of traditional aristocratic penjing which had survived the 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution by leaving/being protected from Mainland China. The two editions of Wu's Chinese/English book, Man Lung Garden Artistic Pot Plants , helped develop interest in this older form of what

117-410: A bourgeois pastime. After their trees were gone, some Chinese penjing masters, men in their sixties and seventies, were forced to do something considered socially redemptive—many were sent to fields to plant rice. However, in other areas of China, especially in eastern and southern China, penjing were collected for safe keeping. Wu Yee-sun (1905–2005), third generation penjing master and grandson of

156-420: Is a list of Neolithic cultures of China that have been unearthed by archaeologists. They are sorted in chronological order from earliest to latest and are followed by a schematic visualization of these cultures. It would seem that the definition of Neolithic in China is undergoing changes. The discovery in 2012 of pottery about 20,000 years BC indicates that this measure alone can no longer be used to define

195-485: Is a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International . Covering 81.86 hectares, the garden has a diverse collection of Chinese plants, including 3500 species and 6000 varieties of local regional flora from the Middle and Lower Yangtze River are located in the gardens. The Penjing Garden was established in 1978 and is 4 hectares (9.9 acres) in size. A penjing museum was added in 1995. The 5000 square metre Tropicarium

234-514: Is known to have supplied dwarf specimens for use in Suzhou restaurants in the province of Jiangsu . Although imperial embassy personnel and Buddhist students from Japan had returned from the mainland with miniature landscape souvenirs since the 6th century, the oldest known depiction of a dwarfed tray landscape in Japan dates from 1309. The fifth of the twenty-scroll Kasuga-gongen-genki masterpiece depicts

273-492: Is not limited to observation or representation of nature, but is also influenced by Chinese poetry, calligraphy, and other visual arts. Common penjing designs include evocation of dragons and the strokes of well-omened characters . At its highest level, the artistic value of penjing is on par with that of poetry , calligraphy , brush painting and garden art. Styles of the traditional Penjing in China are mainly classified by

312-563: The Chán school of Buddhism was established, in which renewed Indian dhyana Buddhist teachings were merged with native Chinese Daoism. Chán maintained its more active, vital spirit even as other Buddhist sects were becoming more rigidly formalized. While there were legends dating from at least the 3rd and 4th centuries of Daoist persons said to have had the power to shrink whole landscapes down to small vessel size, written descriptions of miniature landscapes are not known until Tang dynasty times. As

351-652: The Hoi Tong Monastery on Henan Island near Guangzhou . A collection of dwarf trees and plants from China was also exhibited that year in Brooklyn , New York. In America, laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act led to Japanese bonsai becoming more familiar to Americans. This led to the prevalence of knowledge of the Japanese forms of dwarf potted trees for the next several decades and prior to Chinese forms. Near

390-586: The Shanghai Metro using Shanghai Metro Line 3 to Shanghai South Railway Station or Shilong Road Station . Alternatively, it can be accessed by rail from the main Shanghai South railway station . Penjing Penjing , also known as penzai , is the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees , other plants , and landscapes in miniature . Penjing generally fall into one of three categories: Chinese cultural hegemony gave

429-453: The 2nd century BC, a unique incense burner was designed. The boshanlu stemmed cup was topped by a perforated lid in the shape of one of the sacred mountains/islands, such as Mount Penglai – focus of a strong contemporary belief – often with the images of mythical persons and beasts throughout the hillsides. Smaller versions of the pen dish were sometimes used as bottom pieces either to catch hot embers or to be filled with water to represent

SECTION 10

#1732859585387

468-951: The China Penjing Artists Association was likewise established. The Hong Kong Baptist University opened the Man Lung Garden in 2000 to promote the Chinese heritage of penjing. Temporarily located on the university's Shaw Campus, in February 2005 a permanent site was set up at the Kam Shing Road Entrance of its Ho Sin Hang Campus. Using artificially dwarfed trees and shrubs, these arrangements are created in special trays or pots which are placed on ornately carved wooden stands. Often, rocks, miniature ceramic structures (like buildings and bridges), and figurines are added to give

507-548: The Peony Garden covers 3.24 hectares and has 120 cultivars of tree peony that were developed in China. The Bamboo Garden was established in 1978 and has 74 species of bamboo across its 3.6 hectares. The 5.33 hectares of the Conifer Garden contain 280 species and varieties of conifer. The garden employs a hundred horticultural staff, ten educational staff and thirty research staff. Shanghai Botanical Garden can be reached on

546-508: The West only knew as the later-refined Japanese art of bonsai . The Yuk Sui Yuen Penzai Exhibition was held in Canton in 1978. This was the first public show in ten years with approximately 250 penjing from private collections displayed in a public park. Antique pots were also shown. The Shanghai Botanical Garden opened that year and permanently displays 3,000 penjing. The First National Penjing Show

585-521: The creation of miniature landscapes. Smaller and younger plants which could be collected closer to civilization but still bore a resemblance to the rugged old treasures from the mountains would also have been chosen. Horticultural techniques to increase the appearance of age by emphasizing trunk, root, and branch size, texture, and shapes would eventually be employed with these specimens. From Tang times onward, various poets and essayists praised dwarf potted landscapes. A decorative tree guild from around 1276

624-491: The early 1960s, it is reported that some 60 characteristic regional forms of penjing could be distinguished by the expert eye. A few of these forms dated back to at least the 16th century. During the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution (May 1966-April 1969), one relatively small effect was that many collections of penjing in mainland China , especially around Beijing, were damaged or neglected because they were seen as

663-433: The end of the 18th century, Yangzhou in central Jiangsu province boasted landscape penjing that contained water and soil. In 1806, a very old dwarf tree from Canton (now Guangzhou ) was gifted to Sir Joseph Banks and eventually presented to Queen Charlotte for Her Majesty's inspection. This tree and most others seen by Westerners in southeast China probably originated at the celebrated Fa Ti gardens near Canton. By

702-603: The end of the 19th century, the Lingnan or Cantonese school of "Clip and Grow" styling was developed at a monastery in southeast China. Fast-growing tropical trees and shrubs could be more easily and quickly shaped using these techniques. Established in 1954, the Longhua nursery in Shanghai included the teaching of classical theory and all aspects of the practice of penjing, a process which could take student-gardeners ten years. As late as

741-680: The essence and spirit of nature through contrasts. Philosophically, it is influenced by the principles of Taoism , specifically the concept of Yin and Yang : the idea of the universe as governed by two primal forces, opposing but complementary. Some of the contrasting concepts used in penjing include portrayal of "dominance and subordination, emptiness (void) and substance, denseness and sparseness, highness and lowness, largeness and smallness, life and death, dynamics and statics, roughness and meticulousness, firmness and gentleness, lightness and darkness, straightness and curviness, verticality and horizontality, and lightness and heaviness." Design inspiration

780-588: The first half of the 19th century, according to various Western accounts, air layering was the primary propagation method for penjing, which were then generally between one and two feet in height after two to twenty years of work. Elms were the main specimens used, along with pines, junipers, cypresses, and bamboos; plums were the favored fruit trees, along with peaches and oranges. The branches could be bent and shaped using various forms of bamboo scaffolding , twisted lead strips, and iron or brass wire to hold them in place; they could also be cut, burnt, or grafted. The bark

819-514: The frescoes show two maid servants carrying penjing with miniature rockeries and fruit trees. The first highly prized trees are believed to have been collected in the wild and were full of twists, knots, and deformities. These were seen as sacred, of no practical profane value for timber or other ordinary purpose. These naturally dwarfed plants were held to be endowed with special concentrated energies due to age and origin away from human influence. The viewpoint of Chán Buddhism would continue to impact

SECTION 20

#1732859585387

858-410: The household of a wealthy Japanese individual who has an outdoors slatted-workbench holding a shallow wooden tray and ceramic dish of Chinese origin with dwarf trees, grasses, and stones. By this time Chán Buddhism had been developed in Japan as Zen . Its influence of "beauty in severe austerity" led native Japanese dwarf potted landscapes to be distilled into single, ideal trees being representatives of

897-482: The information at that point shows a somewhat developed craft, (then called "punsai") the making of dwarfed tree landscapes had to have been taking place for a while, either in China or possibly based on a form brought in from outside. The earliest-known graphic dates from 706 and is found in a wall mural on a corridor leading to the tomb of Prince Zhang Huai at the Qianling Mausoleum site. Excavated in 1972,

936-428: The landscape features found outside. Penjing pots grace pavilions, private studies or living rooms, and public buildings. They are either free-standing elements within the gardens or are placed on furniture such as a table or bookshelf. Sometimes a lattice display stand is built which adds particular prominence to the penjing specimen and exemplifies the interplay between architecture and nature. Penjing seeks to capture

975-404: The living landscape. Hòn non bộ focuses on depicting landscapes of islands and mountains, usually in contact with water and decorated with live trees and other plants. Like water and land penjing , hòn non bộ specimens can feature miniature figures, vehicles, and structures. Distinctions among these traditional forms have been blurred by some practitioners outside of Asia, as enthusiasts explore

1014-430: The most representative (dominant) plants used, and named after the regions of their origin. Since different plants require different techniques to handle, different styles thus formed. There are more than a dozen styles of traditional Penjing : The maintenance and care of penjing trees are similar to that of the bonsai . [REDACTED] Media related to Penjing at Wikimedia Commons Neolithic China This

1053-408: The ocean out of which the sacred mountains/islands arose. Originally made out of bronze, ceramic, or talc stone, some later versions were believed to be stones which occasionally were partly covered with moss and lichens to further heighten the miniature representation. Since at least the 1st century AD, Daoist mysticism has included the recreating of magical sites in miniature to focus and increase

1092-459: The period. It will fall to the more difficult task of determining when cereal domestication started. These cultures existed during the period from 8500 to 1500 BC. Neolithic cultures remain unmarked and Bronze Age cultures (from 2000 BC) are marked with *. There are many differences in opinion on the dating for these cultures, so the dates chosen here are tentative: For this schematic outline of its neolithic cultures China has been divided into

1131-445: The potential of local plant and pot materials without strict adherence to traditional styling and display guidelines. Classical Chinese gardens often contain arrangements of miniature trees and rockeries known as penjing. These creations of carefully pruned trees and rocks are small-scale renditions of natural landscapes. They are often referred to as living sculptures or as three-dimensional poetry. Their artistic composition captures

1170-795: The practice influence over other cultures, engendering bonsai and saikei in Japan , as well as the miniature living landscapes of hòn non bộ in Vietnam . Generally speaking, tree penjing specimens differ from bonsai by allowing a wider range of tree shapes (more "natural-looking") and by planting them in bright-colored and creatively shaped pots. In contrast, bonsai are more simplified in shape (more "minimal" in appearance) with larger-in-proportion trunks and are planted in unobtrusive, low-sided containers with simple lines and muted colors. While saikei depicts living landscapes in containers, like water and land penjing , it does not use miniatures to decorate

1209-479: The proper scales as part of the natural scenery. These miniatures add to the symbolism of a penjing specimen, by providing a social or historical context in which to interpret the overall penjing design. These miniature landscapes include trees which are frequently over a hundred years old. Like the plants in the Chinese garden, they have been carefully selected and tended so that they develop into twisted and gnarled shapes reminiscent of their full-size counterparts in

Shanghai Botanical Garden - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-409: The properties found in the full-size sites. The various schools of Buddhism introduced from India after the mid-2nd century included the meditative dhyana sect , whose translations of Sanskrit texts sometimes used Daoist terminology to convey non-physical concepts. Also, floral altar decorations were introduced and floral designs started to become a dominant force in Chinese art. Five centuries later

1287-481: The significantly improved economic conditions; growth would be most pronounced particularly in coastal provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang , Fujian , Guangdong as well as Shanghai. There would be increasing numbers of good public and private collections, the latter with anywhere from several hundred to several thousand pieces. By the end of 1981, the China Flower and Penjing Association was formed, and seven years later

1326-585: The spirit of nature and distinguishes them from ordinary potted plants. The container known as the pen originated in Neolithic China in the Yangshao culture as an earthenware shallow dish with a foot. It was later one of the vessels manufactured in bronze for use in court ceremonies and religious rituals during the Shang dynasty and Zhou dynasty . When foreign trade introduced into China new herbal aromatics in

1365-551: The universe. What is termed bonsai derives from this. Since at least the 16th century, shops at the "Garden of Dragon Flowers" ( Longhua ) to the southwest of Shanghai , were engaged in cultivating miniature trees in containers. (These would continue to the present day.) Meanwhile, Suzhou was still considered at century's end to be the source of the finest exponents of the art of penjing. The earliest-known English observation of penjing in China/ Macau dates from 1637. During

1404-414: The wild. Like Chinese gardens , these miniature landscapes are designed to convey landscapes experienced from various viewpoints - a close-up view, a medium-range view or a panorama. As an art form, penjing is an extension of the garden, since it enables an artist to recreate parts of the natural landscape in miniature. Penjing is often used indoors as part of a garden's overall design, since it reiterates

1443-550: Was held the following year in Beijing with over 1,100 exhibits from 13 provinces, towns, and autonomies. One division of the Hangzhou Flower Nursery by 1981 specialized in penjing, including over fifteen hundred once abandoned older specimens being maintained and in the initial stages of being retrained. The art of penjing would again become vastly popular in China, in part due to stability returning to most people's lives and

1482-444: Was opened to the public in 2001. It is a conservatory with 3500 species of tropical and subtropical plant. Established in 1988, The Magnolia Garden covers 1.51 hectares and has 40 species, including Magnolia denudata , Magnolia liliiflora , Magnolia grandiflora , Magnolia cylindrica , Magnolia amoena , Michelia chapensis , Liriodendron chinense and others, including Magnolia × soulangeana . Established in 1980,

1521-411: Was sometimes lacerated at places or smeared with sugary substance to induce termites ("white ants") to roughen it or even to eat the similarly sweetened heartwood. Rocks with moss or lichens were also a frequent feature of these compositions. The earliest known photograph from China which included penjing was made c.1868 by John Thomson . He was particularly delighted by the collection in the garden of

#386613