The Historical Origins of Bonsai, Its Artistic Conception, and Representative Works of Various Schools
Bonsai has always been one of the antiques favored by literati and righteous scholars. It is not only beautifully shaped but also can be preserved for a long time, and keeping it at home is very worry-free. Bonsai has always been loved by many friends, because it is the perfect combination of cultivation techniques and shaping art. Through the fusion of nature and art, we have created some endlessly memorable bonsai art.
As early as the Qin and Han dynasties, garden-style potted plant art had already appeared in Chinese gardens. By the Eastern Han dynasty, bonsai making began to pursue the expression of artistic conception. By the Tang and Song dynasties, some famous poets such as Wang Wei, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and others already had poetic lines to metaphorically describe and praise bonsai.
China is the birthplace of bonsai in the world, so there are also many bonsai schools. We will introduce some of the more famous schools of bonsai to everyone.
1. Lingnan School Bonsai
Because Guangdong is located in the Lingnan region, the bonsai of the Guangdong area is called Lingnan bonsai. There is relatively abundant sunlight and naturally no lack of water, so there are rich natural resources, which provide very good conditions for the development of Lingnan bonsai. Lingnan bonsai is mostly ceramic-based, and has always adhered to the effect of one tree, two stones, and three tripod stands.
2. Sichuan School Bonsai
Sichuan school bonsai is mainly based on tree bonsai, because the shapes of ancient trees have always been crooked and varied, so they give people a rugged and peculiar feeling. Sichuan school bonsai generally uses golden bullet tree (Diospyros cathayensis), ginkgo, and so on. In terms of momentum, Sichuan school bonsai has the characteristics of the Bashu region: high, steep, and deep, and it has always maintained this in the structure and appearance of the bonsai.
3. Suzhou School Bonsai
Suzhou bonsai is very famous all over the world, because Suzhou has a humid climate and sufficient water, which is very beneficial to plant growth, so Suzhou also mainly focuses on tree bonsai. Combined with the unique style of Suzhou gardens, it is simply a blend of scene and emotion, and thought-provoking.
Besides these three schools, there are also Yangzhou school bonsai, Shanghai school bonsai, and others. Each kind of bonsai has its own unique style, and it mainly depends on each person's preference.