Why are small bonsai becoming more and more popular?
▲ "Chronicles in the Palm" by Ni Minzhong
In today's world where land is worth its weight in gold, when it comes to enjoying bonsai, small bonsai take up the least space; a small rooftop or balcony is enough to cultivate more than a hundred pots. Moreover, the materials for small bonsai are cheaper than those for medium and large bonsai, so you can enjoy and appreciate them without spending much, and even if you fail in creating one, it won't hurt so much.
▲ "Years" by Wang Xuchu
▲ "Autumn Charm" by Yang Genfu
Although small bonsai lack the ancient, majestic appearance and imposing presence of medium and large bonsai, the exquisitely detailed small bonsai, like a sparrow though small yet complete in all its vital organs, is delicate and lovely, and it can equally express the beauty of each tree species in small form with great presence, brewing the style and temperament that a bonsai should have. Therefore, small bonsai are developing rapidly at home and abroad, are quite popular, and the age range of enthusiasts is very broad, truly suitable for all ages.
▲ Work by Xu Hongwei
▲ "Dream Camel Bell" by Shen Jianzhong
Materials for small bonsai are relatively easy to obtain, and can be acquired reliably by sowing seeds, cuttings or air layering. They can take shape for appreciation in a short time, unlike medium and large bonsai which often take decades to complete; small bonsai can produce a high-quality tree form in just three to five years. At the same time, they offer the pleasure of decoration; because of their small size, they are convenient to move and can be placed at will indoors, in an entryway, on a desk or on a tea table, combining bonsai with daily life and making the environment lush and green with a sense of the seasons.
▲ "Autumn Scene" by Gao Yiming
▲ "Vigorous" by Zhang Zhenxiong
The basic principles for appreciating small bonsai are no different from those for medium and large bonsai; there are still relatively high requirements for the root spread, trunk, branches, crown outline and overall tree appearance. Because they are small and inconspicuous, most are arranged in groups of five or seven, composed as an integrated combination of tree, pot and display stand.
▲ Work by Meng Wozhong
▲ "Boating Around the World" by Pan Zhongtian
▲ "Love of Elm and Stone" by Fang Rongkun
▲ Work by Ren Weibao
▲ "Spring Returns" by Sun Zonglin
▲ "A Square Inch Holds the Vast Heaven and Earth" by Shen Xiaohong
▲ "Peaks Competing in Beauty" by Tao Linfu
▲ "Clear, Strange, Ancient, Odd" by Wang Dadi
▲ "Clear Delight" by Chen Jie
▲ Work by Wang Yuankang