Press Reviews

The Atlanta Journal & Constitution, 5/30/98

Take an illuminating journey through "Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment." Penjing, the Chinese art of creating a miniature landscape in a container, closely resembles bonsai, its Japanese counterpart. Chinese author Qingquan Zhao has practiced penjing for 25 years and created all the designs shown in this book. Those with an appreciation for the grace and charm of these Lilliputian landscapes will delight in the beautiful photography. And they'll better understand the history and significance of this ancient art form. But hobbyists who want to get to the nitty-gritty should head to the chapter on water-and-land penjing. It includes information on basic tools; selecting and preparing materials, including rocks, trees, soil and clay miniatures; and designing and planting the miniature garden.

 

by Mary Helen Aguirre

 

Bookwatch, April 1998 issue

Penjing is the Chinese art of creating a miniature landscape in a container, and this exciting new book covers all the basics of how to create such landscapes. From the properties of soft rocks and other embellishments to the underlying spiritual intentions of creating harmonic miniatures, this is filled with color photo displays and practical as well as spiritual insights.

 

by Diane Donovan

 

Choice, March 1998 issue (Vo.35 No.7)

There are many books in English on bonsai but very few on the Chinese versions of this ancient art form. The author's formidable background and experience make this an important presentation of the distinctly Chinese literati penjing and also the water-and-land penjing. Although creating a miniature landscape in a container is the common thread linking Japanese and Chinese efforts, the author makes a point of emphasizing aesthetic considerations in making the two Chinese forms of penjing, which diverge from the usual bonsai focus on an individual tree or group of trees. There is a chapter on tree penjing covering main styles, including literati penjing and other chapters on landscape and water-and-land penjing. There are many how-to illustrations accompanied by explanations and chapters on maintenance and display techniques, but the book mainly emphasizes how to achieve a high level of artistic expression within a Chinese cultural perspective. Beautifully and abundantly illustrated in color, there is a guide to Chinese pronunciation, a chronology of Chinese dynasties, but unfortunately no bibliography or list of references. Written for the hobbyist, the author assumes that a reader has mastered the basic skills of shaping and caring for miniature trees. Highly recommended for libraries wishing to extend their gardening book section. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.

 

by L.G. Kavaljian

 

California Garden, March-April 1998 issue

Miniature landscape with scaled down trees amid carefully spaced and sculpted small rocks is a classical Chinese art form known as penjing. More than replications of nature, they are designed to express the harmony of opposing elements and the principles of ancient Chinese culture.

 

"Joyous Tunes Before Sunset" is a grouping of Chinese sweet plum trees amid sections of Turtle Shell Rock. "Autumn Abundance" is a leaning thick-trunked persimmon tree laden with tiny fruit. And "Tales of Defiance" is a horizontally pruned five needle pine that has grown (been trained) down at a 45 degree angle from a wide, deep bowl. Color photographs of these examples of Zhao's artistry open the book and one need not be an aficionado of bonsai (the Japanese version of a form of penjing) to appreciate their poetic and horticultural beauty.

 

Many more color illustrations introduce an in-depth discussion of the historical and cultural background of Penjing, which prepares the reader for the specifics of the various forms that follow. The most traditional are tree penjing, one or several miniature trees in a container, and landscape penjing, the combining of trees and rocks in a composition. A more modern form, known as water-and-land penjing has recently evolved.

 

A generous "how-to" section is full of practical advice and techniques and the book also includes a guide to Chinese pronunciation. Finally, to convey what Penjing is all about, the art and philosophy of Chinese landscape painting and principles of artistic composition are sensitively explored, indicating the inner journey of the spirit that leads to creation of "worlds of wonderment".

 

by Marge Howard-Jones

 

The Florida Gardener, Spring 1998 issue

Penjing is the Chinese art of creating a miniature landscape in a container. Penjing bears a close resemblance to its Japanese counterpart Bonsai. The author, Qingquan Zhao, has won admirers in this country as well as France, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan and Macao. The highlight point of his first visit to the U.S. was the Florida Bonsai Convention in Naples. Penjing has a long history and can be traced back many centuries. In China, Penjing is usually divided into two main categories; Tree Penjing and Landscape Penjing; Zhao includes Water and Land Penjing as well. Karin Albert, translator from Zhao's Chinese text, spent five years in China studying Oriental art and Chinese culture. The many beautiful photographs of Zhao's complete Penjing creations and explicit how-to text, with photos, help beginners and advanced students alike to capture and appreciate the beauty and spirit of this time-honored Chinese art form. This book truly contains "Worlds of Wonderment!"

 

by Ginny Mraz

 

Atlanta Bonsai Society Newsletter, March 1998 issue

The worlds of Penjing, Bonsai and/or Saikei have one thing in common: they are art forms that use a living medium, the tree. But the art goes beyond that and has a lot to do with the artist behind the work of art. Some are instructors and teachers, some are skilled horticulturalists. A few are masters and even fewer are purely and simply artists with unparalleled sensitivity.

 

I feel very fortunate to have known Qingquan 'Brook' Zhao (from China), whom I first saw in Naples, Fl, in 1991, and again in Orlando and Georgia in 1993. Of unassuming character and easy manners, Brook - as he likes to be called in English - delivers a powerful work of art, and is also the author of an excellent book on the Chinese concept of Penjing - the tree, the landscape, the seascape and the mountainscape, combined or otherwise. It includes notes on the history and evolution of the art, excellent photos and detailed graphics.

 

Very attractively presented, this book has been professionally produced with very good photography and line plates. There are 244 color photos and 18 line drawings. The double page photo at the beginning of the book is outstandingly beautiful (credit: Karin Albert) and depicts the Li River in South Western China, near Guilin, Guangxi Province. This area has inspired famous Chinese painters of mountain waterscapes, and is also well known for the fishermen-trained Cormorants that will fly and come back to their masters full of fish and give that up in special bamboo trays.

 

Having known Karin for a few years, I am aware of the long and hard process involved in the publishing of this book, and credit must be given to her for having endured to get this book to us. A copy should be part of everybody's library. Karin was born in Germany, and back in the 1980's she lived in China for several years. She speaks Mandarin fluently and is the driving force behing Venus Communications, and lives in Athens, GA. She has been a member of the Atlanta Bonsai Society for the last ten years and has lectured on several Chinese subjects, including Penjing, for the Society as well as other institutions in Georgia and elsewhere. At our Feb. 1997 conference, Karin gave many hours of her time to translate and assist Hu Yunhua, one of the guest masters.

 

Brook did create a masterpiece during a demonstration at the Atlanta Bonsai Society show in 1993, using bald cypress. A photograph of this work is on page 8 of the book. The photograph on the cover of the book depicts a beautiful forest of Ficus Nerifolias also created in Georgia, for Lotus International.

 

by Jorge Lucero

Bonsai Clubs International , Nov./Dec. 1997 issue

When Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment is first opened, the reader is treated to a picture of a fisherman sitting under the outstretched branches of a giant tree. If it were not for the clay fisherman, the reader would surely believe he was looking at a photo of a natural setting at dusk. The artistic skill of the author, combined with the skill of the photographer, make this and every other color plate throughout the book a true work of art.*

Immediately following the fisherman scene is a two-page spread depicting the unusual mountains of China. This timely presentation is important in establishing the credibility of the Penjing representations that are to follow. This is especially important since this karst topography is so unfamiliar to many of us.

As still further introduction, the reader is treated to a full twenty-four pages of color plates of the author's penjing creations. His work is exquisite! The magnificence of his penjing lends credibility to what the author has to say throughout the book.

 

When I looked through Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment for the very first time, I was most impressed with the use of close-up photography as a teaching device. Nowhere was this more evident than in the author's construction of land and water penjing. The close-up photography enables the reader to see where and how to place trees, rocks, figures, etc. By studying these pictures carefully much is learned about the harmony that must exist in each penjing composition.

 

The brief chapter on landscape penjing contains an especially important pictorial essay on how to construction. Using a large marble tray the author placed a single large rock to represent the single rock style. By simply adding additional rocks to the single peak, the off-center style, the opening and closing style, the canyon style and the vast mountain style were created. The important relationship of these styles to one another was clearly established.

 

The chapter on tree penjing does an excellent job of illustrating each of the different penjing styles. An especially good job was done with a detailed pictorial essay on how the literati style is created. This placed a much needed emphasis on a style of penjing that is often less understood than most.

 

One of my favorite sections is on land and water penjing. The author, through a series of photos and descriptions, illustrates successfully how land and water penjing are classified according to the tree material, number of trees, size and by type of arrangement. After studying these pictures I felt that I had gained a thorough understanding of the components of each classification.

 

There are two areas covered by Zhao that contribute a great deal to the understanding of all penjing. In one area, Zhao discusses interesting relationships between his penjing and Chinese landscape gardens, landscape painting, and nature poetry. In the second area an understanding of the handling of opposite components that must exist in penjing is achieved including the dense and sparse quality, refinement and roughness, firm and soft, lightness and heaviness. These areas of emphasis lead to a better understanding of Zhao's work and of bonsai and penjing in general.

 

I recommend this book most highly. Instead of stowed away on my library shelf, it has a prominent place on my living room coffee table where I can pick it up and browse any time I have a few spare moments. It is artistic, and an invaluable information source for those interested in bonsai and penjing alike. It seems that I learn something new every time I leaf through it.

 

by Hal Mahoney

 

Bonsai: Journal of the American Bonsai Society, Winter 1997 issue

Why did I jump when I was asked to write a review of Zhao's book? It was because I had seen his shuihan (water-and-land) penjings before and was very impressed by them.

This hard covered book of 144 pages published by Venus Communications, LLC is fully illustrated with photographs of his work and articulately translated and edited by Karin Albert, who is well versed in Chinese language, culture and the art of penjing.

The book begins with twenty-three color photographs of Zhao's penjing creations. His shuihan penjing stands out as the most impressive portion of his work.

Zhao begins with a concise description of the historical and cultural background on penjing, then gives a brief overview of tree penjing, the Chinese equivalence of what is known to the West as bonsai. He talks about the literati painters of the Song Dynasty whose paintings inspired the literati style, his favorite tree penjing style.

Zhao makes a clear distinction between shanshui (landscape) penjing and shuihan penjing: in shanshui penjing, the main medium of artistic expreesion is rock or rock groupings with plants as accents, while in the shuihan penjing, the dorminant feature is tree or groups of trees with rocks as accents.Zhao provides a brief discussion of shanshui penjing and a more detailed description of shuihan penjing - classification, selection of materials, required tools, and details of the techniques involved.

Zhao goes on to address the artistic side of penjing, without which a creation would be lifeless. He likens shuihan penjing to Chinese landscape gardens, but he does not use the gardens as models. Instead, he chooses to emulate the paintings of the literati painters. Zhao equates shuihan penjing to three- dimensional painting and a wordless poem: simple, succinct, highly suggestive, symbolic and resonant with feeling.

Finally, Zhao points out the true source of inspiration for shuihan penjing - nature.

" Penjing are artistically created version of natural sceneries.......Penjing is based on, yet transcends nature........The goal is to capture the main characteristics, the essence of a scenery, and to discard the undesirable and redundant."

He emphasizes the importance of the contrast and harmony between yin and yang in penjing without a single reference to the two words. I find this approach quite interesting.
The book concludes with a discussion on maintainance, a display of penjing, and a glossary of Chinese characters and their pronunciation using pinyin, a Chinese method of pronouncing Anglicized Chinese words.

All in all, the book is well-organized; it illustrates and explains penjing in a simple, clear manner. The main attraction and emphasis of the book is shuihan penjing. Zhao clearly demonstrates his innate ablity in spatial arrangement and his keen sense of dynamic balance. With a few trees and a few rocks, he captures the spirit of a natural scene, leaving anyone who gazes upon it deeply impressed.

A leader in the renaissance of penjing, Zhao is definitely breaking new ground with his shuihan penjing. He has freed himself from the bondage of "Schools" of penjing, a factor that has hindered the progress of penjing in China in the past. Zhao was born into the Yangzhou School of penjing, but it is difficult to find the Yangzhou School doctrines* in his shuihan penjing. He appears to have assimilated not only the strong points of other schools of penjing in China, but also techniques from abroad. Perhaps this is what allows his work to transcend national boundaries and gain international repute.

 

* Penjing, China Construction Industry Publishing, 1981, by Xu Xiaobai, Zhang

Renlong and Zhao Qingquan, pp(200-204).

 

by Ernie Kuo

 

Library Journal, December 1997 issue

Penjing is the Chinese art of creating miniature landscapes in containers. In this fascinating and beautiful book, internationally acclaimed penjing artist Zhao first looks at the historical and cultural background of the art and discusses its development during various Chinese dynasties. The three types of penjing - tree, landscape, and water and land - are illustrated in three individual chapters; concluding chapters cover artistic renderings and display. Excellent examples of the art are given in a 24-page gallery of the author's work, with an additional 244 color photographs, 18 line drawings, a guide to Chinese pronunciation, and a chronology of Chinese dynasties rounding out the book. The lack of information on penjing makes this work a valuable addition to public and academic libraries.

International Bonsai, 1997/No.3

As most Americans, I learned bonsai in the Japanese style. My first introduction to Chinese penjing was through Mr. Wu's book Man Lung Artistic Pot Plants. Fascinated with the use of rocks and figurines, and intrigued with the names given each subject, I was left wanting more.

Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment is more. The subtitle states the essence of the book. It is a "journey". The journey begins with a cover photograph of a Ficus nerifolia penjing and many pages of a colorful "gallery" displaying penjing with delightful names such as "Tender Spring", "Lushness" and "Literati in a Summer Forest". The journey continues by detailing the historical and cultural background of penjing, followed by individual chapters explaining the three basic divisions: tree penjing, landscape penjing and water-and-land penjing.

"Tree penjing", called "shumu penjing" in Chinese, features one or several trees in a container. The trees form the main elements in the composition, often accentuated by mosses and/or grasses. Stones or miniature people or structures may also be added; their purpose usually is to enhance a particular theme or to conceal flaws in a tree's structure so that visual balance may be obtained."

This chapter continues by listing several types of tree penjing, known as bonsai elsewhere. A special section is devoted to literati penjing and its historical background. A great appreciation is expressed toward the great men of letters who had such an impact on centuries of Chinese culture.

"In landscape penjing, natural rock serves as the main medium of artistic expression. One or several pieces of rock are arranged on a very shallow water pot (called "shui pen" in Chinese and known by the Japanese word "suiban" in Japan and the West) to depict a natural mountain and water landscape." The photographs of the incredible rock arrangements in this section make your mind travel to distant lands at a glance.

"The modern art of water-and-land penjing continues in its development as the variety of suitable material grows and the methods of expression become more varied. Therefore, both artists and researchers stand to benefit from a systematic classification of the different styles of water-and-land penjing encountered to date." Here, Zhao divides this "new" type of penjing by plant material use and arrangement type, as there is no fixed style in water-and-land penjing.

When using figurines he emphasizes the importance of appropriateness and proportion. A horse shown standing on a rock, lowering its head at the water's edge can only give you a new appreciation for figurines.

Precise details (both written and photographic) of selecting rock, cementing, planting and maintenance leave the reader prepared to jump-in. Fortunately I had an empty marble container awaitung such a project! Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment is a journey you will enjoy often.

by Mary C. Miller

Bonsai With Tropicals, May/June 1997

What a surprise to see Ficus nerifolia (salicifolia) on the front cover of a new book on Penjing! Several Ficus are arranged in an exquisite water-and-land penjing, placed in a traditional marble tray and titled "Land of Bliss". The cover photo (by Sander Heilig) is only the beginning of one beautiful photograph after another. Each photograph has a title and is described in detail. Trees and rocks are identified. Container and tree sizes are given. And names such as A Night Mooring by Maple Bridge enhance the concept of "penjing as worldless poems".

"The language in Chinese nature poetry is simple and succinct, yet it conveys rich and profound contents... Similarly, in penjing, just one aged tree and a couple of rocks in a stream can create elaborate connotations."

Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment is not a "coffee table" book, to be looked at occasionally. In adition to the wonderful photographs, Mr. Zhao has provided explicit instructions for creating tree penjing, landscape penjing, and water-and-land penjing. He also gives a lot of detail in the cutting and use of rocks, their placement and how to affix them in your arrangement. Besides the cover Ficus n., Qingquan Zhao uses several other trees suited to the tropics. Ulmus parvifolia, Carmona microphylla, Ficus retusa and Podocarpus macrophyllus are a few.

Whether your initial bonsai instruction is Japanese or Chinese in theory, the artistic expression presented in Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment will stir your imagination. Consider adding this book to your bonsai library.

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