A foreigner tells how to design a bonsai landscape to make it more interesting (in Chinese and English)

By CHAD Canadian translator: Keyi

When I make a bonsai landscape, or even just a bonsai, I think in advance that I might use a small building, bridge or character. It may sometimes be difficult to find the right match for the bonsai, because you want it to be as close to reality as possible, so you have to find buildings or characters of the right size and proportion to match the trees.

When I make a penjing landscape up or even just a penjing, I'll have some plan of maybe using a little building, bridge or figure. Finding the right piece for the penjing can and has been difficult sometimes. You want to make the penjing as believable as possible, so you'd need to find the right size building or figure to go along with the tree.

Sometimes when I show trees, I use different ways. Not all collocations and decorations have to be with real trees all the time. I think placing them nearby will also make bonsai quite beautiful, such as the fisherman sitting under the bonsai of small pines and cypresses. Bonsai is above him, like pines and cypresses hanging from a cliff. It's very artistic.

Sometimes, I've used figures a different way, when I display my trees. Not all have to always be with the actual tree, but near it also makes the penjing quite nice to look at such as the picture of the fisherman sitting under the little cedar penjing which is above him like it's hanging down from a cliff.

I like the small bonsai in this blue bowl very much. I put three villains in front of a tree. I found this small tree in my backyard, so I planted it in this small basin, and now it looks very interesting.

This one little penjing in the blue pot I quite like, with the three men together, near a grove. The tree itself I found in my backyard and planted in the little pot.

This June snow in the rocks always reminds me of a lake I went to many years ago. Sitting on the rock, I felt the growth of the trees and watched all kinds of sailboats sail by.

The one little penjing of the serissa on the rock reminds me of a lake I went to many years ago seeing the trees watch boats of all kinds sail by.

The fisherman is rocking his boat on the river, and the small banyan tree looking down behind the boulder is one of my favorite bonsai. Why do you like it? One is because it reminds me that when I first came to China, I traveled to Guilin. I especially liked a river called Longhe, which was very beautiful. Secondly, because some trees, if they are planted in a small basin, their leaves will become smaller, I think this is very interesting.

The penjing with little ficus peering behind the rock with the little figure on his boat, is one of my favorites'. Two reasons why it's one of my favorites. One is that it reminds me when I was traveling near Guilin area, at a river called, Dragon River and second because some trees, if they're in small pots, their leaves will shrink in size which I thought is very interesting.

I think this bonsai landscape with a yellow lighter is also very interesting. For the rock, I chose to use a smoother rock, but on a rock, I placed a very small fisherman, and opposite him, two people were also fishing.

The penjing with the yellow lighter I thought was also interesting. For the rocks I decided to use smoother looking rocks, but on one rock I placed a very small fisherman while across from him, two people are also fishing.

I like this bonsai landscape, because with these small red buildings, at first glance, it is almost a small Chinese garden.

I like how this penjing looks with the little red buildings. It's almost like it's a little Chinese garden.

For some bonsai like this juniper, I put a small house in the back, leaving some deep to the bonsai, which looks more three-dimensional and real.

For some penjing like this little juniper, I used a small house and placed it a little back to give some depth to the penjing.

This banyan forest is my favorite in the big bonsai. The prices of these two banyan trees are very cheap. In order not to be too monotonous, I bought some stones to make this scene. I used a pair of people to show their comfort under the tree, drink tea and enjoy a good day. Sometimes, I can even imagine myself sitting there, like them, enjoying the fragrant tea and these lush trees.

The large penjing ficus grove is my absolute favorite. The two clumps of ficus trees were cheap and then I went out and bought some rocks and made the penjing. I wanted to use a couple figures to show that they're enjoying the day under the trees, having tea. I can imagine myself sitting there, enjoy the tea and trees.

Of course, not all bonsai require buildings or people, but sometimes bonsai can help create the appearance of a real old tree in a small space, or record a beautiful scene you've been to and don't want to forget.

Not all penjing need buildings or figures, but for some, it helps create the look of a real old tree in a small space, or of a place you once traveled to and want to remember.

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