Appreciation of Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Clear Stream Flows On": May the Clear Stream Flow Forever

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Clear Stream Flows On" (Golden Larch)

May the Clear Stream Flow Forever

- Appreciating Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Clear Stream Flows On"

Original author | Ke Xiaoren

Wispy mist swirls, a clear stream flows on, lush trees, luxuriant fragrant grass, insects chirping and birds singing, butterflies dancing and flowers fragrant... What a delightful pastoral scene! This kind of undestroyed, unpolluted ecological environment is becoming the long-cherished lifestyle fashion of returning to nature for modern people.

However, with the rapid development of human society and the increasingly accelerated pace of life, today humanity is once again increasingly threatening the existence of too many rivers - unrestrained logging of forests, blasting mountains for stone, digging soil and dredging sand, drawing water from deep wells?? causing many rivers and streams to gradually shrink and even stop flowing or dry up; with the discharge of industrial sewage and waste garbage, many rivers and streams have become black and putrid. The reality of a deteriorating ecological environment forces humanity to re-recognize forestry and to recognize the forest as the mainstay of the terrestrial ecosystem. For this mainstay is the ecological barrier for achieving the sustainable development of the national economy and society. Ecological and environmental problems have already permeated every field of the economy, society and life, seriously affecting humanity's living space and quality of life. Almost all environmental problems are, without exception, closely related to the distribution, quantity and quality of forest vegetation. Therefore, environmental protection workers, scientific and technological personnel and all people of insight have devoted tremendous energy to thinking about the relationship between man and nature. Artists are no exception.

The bonsai "Clear Stream Flows On" by Mr. Zhao Qingquan, a master of bonsai art skilled at depicting the true colors of nature, was created in accordance with this historical content that attracts such attention. Its purpose and significance need no explanation; the appreciator will not find it hard to understand. From the composition, one can discover that the maker used twenty or thirty young golden larch saplings and some ordinary materials such as fragmentary stalactite stones and moss, and endowed them with the most simple emotions, and with concise artistic techniques simulated natural creation to express the most inspiring artistic effect. This effect and emotion are what most powerfully support the originally plain foundation of human life, making it display a touch of brightness, a touch of brilliant color.

A bonsai work with strong artistic appeal is the product of a bonsai artist's intense passion for nature, sincere love, and embrace of nature. After seeing "Clear Stream Flows On", we suddenly realize that in the realm of wisdom, streams and rivers are not merely a simple word or an ordinary symbol on a map, but the very location of all the civilization and vitality of the era. Therefore, between forest and water there is a rather thought-provoking dialectic: once forest resources suffer reckless logging, streams and rivers have repaid humanity with severe flood and drought disasters. If the source areas of streams and rivers and the banks along their courses are all rich with forests and grass, then despite abundant annual rainfall, they never rage, always like a demure and understanding maiden, shining brightly in people's eyes year after year.

Mr. Zhao understands this dialectic of nature very well. Therefore, "Clear Stream Flows On" takes trees as the main subject of the scenery, while the "clear stream" becomes the secondary subject. Whether the "clear stream" can flow on depends on the main subject. Hence, when creating the scenery, Mr. Zhao's assessment of the main subject (golden larch saplings) - their tree vigor, tree appearance, tree form, tree posture, and the thickness and height of the trunks - as well as his planning of selecting, planting, arranging, grouping and accenting the trees, are all just right in every respect. In this way, the theme is vividly highlighted, and the principle of how the "clear stream" can flow on is also more eloquently explained.

"Clear Stream Flows On" is extraordinary - listening to the pulse of nature, discerning the underlying color of life. The self merges into nature, transparent and clear; the self transcends the image, and the heavenly measure is complete in itself. Thus, the essence and connotation of the clear stream flowing on are expressed in eternal flow. Therefore, "Clear Stream Flows On" can offer new insight and understanding: life is like a clear stream, and flowing on is life's journey. In flowing on, the clear stream forever nourishes the earth, creating the eternal scenery of the mainstay of the ecological environment, and completing life's continuous arrival?? the land flows with emerald, ten thousand mountains spread with green. A good ecological environment powerfully supports the sustainable development of the economy and society. Cherishing life and cherishing the Earth is humanity's bounden duty.

Title: Piercing the Clouds

Specifications: 132 cm

Tree species: Chinese juniper (Shimpaku)

Author: Zhao Qingquan

Title: Gazing

Specifications: 105 cm

Tree species: Black pine

Author: Zhao Qingquan

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Approaching the Void" (Chinese juniper (Shimpaku), tree height 86 cm, tree age 30 years)

"Mutual Support" (Chinese juniper (Shimpaku), tree height 110 cm, tree age about 30 years)

"Portrait of a Noble Scholar" (Five-needle pine, tree height 95 cm, tree age about 30 years)

"Inviting the Moon" (Chinese juniper (Shimpaku), tree height 85 cm, tree age about 30 years)

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Eight Steeds" (Serissa)

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Racing to the Moon" (Chinese juniper (Shimpaku))

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Transcending the Dust"

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Emerging from the Valley"

Zhao Qingquan's Bonsai "Beautiful Maple Grove" (Japanese maple)

Highlights replay:

"Clear Autumn" made by Zhao Qingquan

Chinese bonsai welcomes you!

Enjoy at any timeappreciatethe bonsai exhibition hall

Promote bonsai culture, exchange bonsai techniques!

Appreciate bonsai art, share a happy life!