Today it is widely accepted that it was the Chinese who first created the miniature landscapes and trees that we now know as bonsai. While bonsai is a Japanese term meaning “tree in a pot “, the art of bonsai is originated in China. In China, growing miniature trees is known as “penjing”, which literally means “landscape in a pot”. Their art is more of reproducing a miniature landscape than creating a perfect tree as Japanese are trying with their bonsai.
Called penjing by the Chinese, bonsai was believed to have had its start in the Han Dynasty. Here, let me share some of the legends and facts surrounding the beginning of bonsai.