Rock Penjing
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exhibition overview
Welcome to the ancient world of penjing. It’s a place where a lone, wind-blown tree grows meditatively from the side of a rocky cliff. Where the stunning beauty of Chinese landscapes have been captured in their grandest element and then, through an ancient art and the touch of a master gardener, reduced to a size that fits on a table.
Penjing (pronounced “pen jin”) is an art form that dates as far back as 700 A.D., where it was depicted on the tomb walls of a Shanxi prince. Penjing is similar to bonsai, the art of dwarfing trees and shaping them, but differs from it by incorporating intricate outdoor vistas. Sculpted by Chinese penjing master Qiao Hong Gen, the piece pictured here is one of eleven pint-sized masterpieces on exhibit in Turtle Bay’s McConnell Arbortetum & Botanical Gardens in the exhibition, Penjing: Magnificent, Mountainous, Miniature Landscapes.
