Bonsai (盆景)

Bonsai is a vocabulary coming from Japan. However, Bonsai art actually originated from China. In Tang dynasty, which is the most powerful era in ancient China, Janpanese government sent lots of students to China to learn language and Chinese culture. They learned Chinese Chess, food, as well as arts including Bonsai. Bonsai is a miniature of gardens, plants, it is especially popular in place with limited space. When I was a child in China, I began to like create Bonsai with picture in my mind, this is really a creative job to make me feel enjoyable. I haven't paid attention to Bonsai for tens of years until recently, when I knew there will be a Bonsai exhibition by Victoria associate in Box hill, this news made me feel something electrifying my nerves.

So my dear steemit friends, please follow me to this visual art feast.

After entering, I was shocked by my first glance of a mini forest, I was wondering how so many trees can be planted into such a small space, then I got to know they were actually from one tree, so it looked they were selected very carefully so that they showed up as a green jungle. There is even a small bench chair hidden behind those leaves. I wanted to be a miniature so that I can sit down and take a rest on that chair, enjoying the green nature.

Here is the Bonsai called ‘Chinese elm’ and it often appeared on the side of a hallway of entrance in an ancient Chinese family. The shelf is usually made up of red wood to show its solemnity, different bonsais are put elegantly in grid, symbolizing variety of life.

The bases of bonsai are not always flower plate, sometimes they can be a piece of irregular rotted wood or even a boulder, indicating the vitality of life.

There are more, the organizers asked visitors to choose 3 best bonsais, which was a tough job for me, all the bonsais had its own style and they all looked exclusive.

I was filled with tranquil while looking around and I had a strong desire to create a bonsai by myself, a peaceful place in my mind, a shelter to escape from the secular life.

盆景文化是从日本引入到欧洲，美国，加拿大，澳大利亚，但是这种文化起源地却在中国。为什么很多中国文化却要通过日本引进到欧洲列国呢，我想主要是因为日本明治维新时期脱亚入欧早早地跟欧洲文化接了轨。而日本是个很善于学习的国家，早在中国盛唐时期，日本就派出很多遣唐使，学习了中国的文化，我想那时候的中国，其地位应该类似现在的美国吧，那是令每个中国人都骄傲的一段光辉岁月。在90年代，世界见证了日本的经济奇迹，当时也有很多日本人移民到了澳洲，把他们的财富和文化带到这片土地。如此这般，盆景文化就传到了澳洲。在我的心目中，澳洲一直以土澳而著称，没想到在这文化干涸的土地上，居然还有盆景展出，在我童年的时候就曾经有一个阶段自己做过简单的盆景，这就激发了我强烈的好奇心，这不仅是对美的向往，更是对童年的一种追忆。

展出地点在维多利亚州的博士山区，这里是著名的华人区，不过奇怪的是，来看盆景展览的华人稀有，多是西人。进去我就被一株盆景震惊了一下，我不知道创作者是怎么找到那么一束树林的，它应该是来自同一颗树，这是一个迷你型绿树成荫的林子，在树林深处，还有一条小长凳，我狠不得把自己缩小数倍，然后走进这片林子，坐到凳子上去享受那片刻的安宁。用于盆景的多是松柏类的植物，里面还有类似黄山迎客松，勾起我对往事的回忆，那时候我正跟现在的太太谈恋爱，我们一起去黄山旅游，爬山，到山下的宏村西村吃农家菜。我还看到很多中国元素的盆景，比如那个经常在近代中国家庭看到靠近门口的红木栅格，上面放了各种各样的掌上盆景。展出方希望每个游客选出他们钟意的三个盆景，这的确是个难题，各种盆景都有自己的特色，都很优美。不过这次盆景展还是让我留下些许遗憾，里面没有水的元素，我希望我自己能创作出一个盆景，有山有水有树木，还有个小木屋。。。