China Region
The Organization and Activity of Penjing in China
The Chinese art of penjing was incubated in the Han and Jin dynasties, took shape in the Sui and Tang reigns, developed in the Song and Yuan dynasties and became popular during the Ming and Qing periods. It later died down and remained almost dormant until the 1930s when it was revitalized in some provinces. By the end of the 1970s it had regained popularity nationwide.
In 1979, the 1st National Penjing Exhibition was held in Beijing with over 1,100 exhibits from 13 provinces, towns, and autonomies. More than a hundred thousand people witnessed this profoundly meaningful and influential show. Thereafter, penjing creation swept like a prevailing wind through the country, resulting in the establishment of many penjing organizations. In many places, like Guanzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Nantong, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Xixian, Wuhan, Xiamen, Guilin, Nanning, Shenyang, Beijing, and Xian, special display centres or gardens were built to display and cultivate penjing.
In order to promote the Chinese penjing art and bring together professionals, enlarge the team of amateurs, make spiritual contributions to the traditional art form and befriend other international sister associations so as to improve skills and exchange experiences, the China Flower and Penjing Association was formed on December 4, 1981. This was followed by the formation of the China Penjing Artists Association on April 20, 1988. Both are national organizations. China subsequently became a member of the WBFF. Now penjing societies and associations can be found almost all over China. These local organizations hold regular exhibitions, conduct judging and choose penjing for competitions held at the national and international levels. The penjing movements in China have thus achieved a great renewed success.
There are over 80 organizational members of the China Flower and Penjing Association spread over the nation. Their regular activities include organizing and experiencing exchange parties, workshops, group studies and specific talks, etc. The National Penjing Convention and Exhibition is held once every four years. So far three have been held. The third one was in Tianjing in 1993.
International activities include an exhibition of penjing in Hong Kong in 1983, group participation at the 1st Asia Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention and Exhibition in Bali, Indonesia, in 1991, the 3rd Asia Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention and Exhibition in Singapore in 1995, exchange of experiences with the Korea Suseok Association, and communicating with other international penjing (bonsai) friends and organizations. Five times we have shared experiences and given talks to bonsai lovers in America and Canada. The association held the 4th Asia Pacific Penjing and Suiseki Convention and Exhibition in Shanghai in 1997. Other activities organized were penjing study classes (three times), theoretical discourses on penjing (twice), and a symposium on penjing publications.
The association is run by a management committee and an executive management committee. Committee members with academic achievements hold office and are prestigious. They are recommended and elected by the other organizations. The first management committee was formed in 1990, with Professor Wang Ju Yuan working as chairman of the association. A new management committee was formed in 1995.
There are about 48 director members and 920 private members of the China Penjing Artists Association over the nation. National Penjing Exhibitions with a total of 3.824 exhibits have been held five times since 1988. In 1991, an international penjing exhibition was held in Beijing with 300 penjing lovers from Korea, Canada, America, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In 1992, 325 penjing lovers from Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong gathered in Nanjing. Nine Penjing Classes were held, with more than 1,500 people going through the penjing course of training. The association is also run by a management committee and an executive committee. Professor Xu Xiao-Bai works as chairman of the association.
The main exhibitional venue, the Shanghai Botanical Garden, opened in 1978 and permanently displays 3,000 bonsai. During the exhibition, 120 bonsai from not only China but also from overseas and 230 suiseki were displayed to impress participants. A lecture titled "research on making Chinese bonsai pots," and demonstrations by a famous Chinese bonsai master and a Japanese representative took place. Various programs in the convention made participants fully satisfied with a warm welcome by The Oriental Party and were surrounded by a Chinese atmosphere. The event fostered great friendship among all present.
by Prof. Su Xuehen
WBFF Director of China Region