Chinese Bonsai – Southern Style & Northern Style

Since my first bonsai class, I have learned that there are two distinct regional variations in Chinese bonsai (penjing) – the Southern style and the Northern style. My teacher kept telling us that the Southern style is the better one, and I always thought what he said was a bias statement that purely based on personal taste. Yet, after I learned more about bonsai, I have to agree with what my teacher said.

What Have Caused the Differences?

Cultural differences account for some of the variation, but the main factor, really, is the difference in the natural environment and climate. China’s South has high temperatures and high levels of humidity most of the year. Along the Yangtze River, the growing season is much shorter. There, establishing a tree’s shape without wiring would be difficult, if not impossible.

With the advantage of warmer climate, the Southern style bonsai artists can grow and shape their trees easier and faster than the Northern style artists, create bonsai trees with more branches and greater details without relying on wiring.

So, yes, the Southern style penjing artists are definitely better in terms of luck – the luck of living in a place with warmer climate.

The Southern Style Chinese Bonsai – Lingnan Penjing

The Southern style, also called “Lingnan style”, is found in Guangdong, Fujian, and Guangxi Provinces. Mostly broadleaf species are used. As for techniques, this style relies mainly on pruning. Artists in Southern China pioneered the technique of “Grow and Clip”. Trees of Lingnan penjing display the bold and very natural features characteristic of trees found in a Southern climate.

Here are more photos taken in 2009 Guangzhou Penjing (Bonsai) Exhibition

The Northern Style Chinese Bonsai

The Northern style encompasses Shanghai, Suzhou, Yangzhou, and other areas along the Yangtze River. Here, the predominant tree species are conifers. To establish the basic shape of a tree, people rely on wiring, or a combination of wiring and pruning. One main characteristic of trees trained in the Northern style is the fact that foliage is arranged in clusters. From one area to another, these clusters may take on different shapes. However, a clear definition of foliage clusters is inevitably found in the Northern style, and it is totally absent in the Lingnan style.