| Trimming and sculpting trees to bonsai has a long | | | | wide world public. The inquiry for bonsai started to |
| history. The first bonsai trees should have been | | | | rise rapidly. The lack of natural small-grown trees led |
| planted in China already about 2000 years ago in | | | | to the commercial production of the bonsai. Several |
| trays. People mentions the miniaturised creation of | | | | basic styles asserted themselves. The bonsai artists |
| bonsai trees in China Pensai. Besides, the typical | | | | made use of wire, bamboo canes and other |
| growth forms of the tree vegetation are | | | | technologies to influence growing, shaping and |
| postformed in some provinces as a Pensai. In other | | | | developing. |
| provinces Pensai are formed rather in weird, | | | | Still today bonsai is highly respected as a symbol of |
| symbolical shapes, for example, in dragon's figure. | | | | the japanese culture and ideals. Nowadays in Japan |
| China had traditionally a great influence on the cultural | | | | bonsai is not left any more only to the upper class, |
| development of Japan. Thus the Buddhism could gain | | | | but has asserted itself in all social classes. Japanese |
| a foothold beside the state religion of the Shinto | | | | incline especially with pleasure to use only native |
| rather early in Japan. Walking monks of the Zen | | | | species for their bonsai trees. In particular pines, |
| Buddhism brought therefore the first Pensai to Japan. | | | | azaleas and maple are looked as the traditional bonsai |
| In the culturally very open imperial city Kyoto noble | | | | trees. In other countries people are not fixed and |
| ladies and gentlemen soon dealt beside the art of the | | | | uses also many other tree species for growing bonsai |
| ikebana and the tea ceremony with the small bonsai | | | | under the most different climatic conditions. |
| trees. | | | | Particularly in last decades the development of the |
| In the 17th and 18th century the Japanese bonsai art | | | | bonsai was going on. The bonsai world has become |
| reached their peak. It had become a part of the | | | | smaller. All over the world people began, whether in |
| Japanese way of life. Bonsai had served to better | | | | Asia, in Europe, in the United States and even in |
| understand the nature and to improve in appearance. | | | | Greenland, to discover bonsai as their hobby. In the |
| The main factor in the development of the bonsai | | | | meantime, bonsai art also reflected the great variety |
| was the restriction on the most important parts of | | | | in predilections and characteristics of the most |
| the plant. All apparently dispensable parts were | | | | different countries and their cultures. |
| removed. The removal of all insignificant and the | | | | With proper care bonsai trees can become hundreds |
| reduction on the essential elements for the final | | | | of years old. Such highly respected specimens are |
| improvement was symbolic for the Japanese | | | | transmitted from generation to generation and are |
| philosophy of that time. Bonsai developed in different | | | | admired for their age and revered. The aging of the |
| style directions which considerably differed of each | | | | bonsai trees is often connected also with the events |
| other. Bonsai artists attempted more and more | | | | in the life of the people that have looked in the |
| culturally important elements like rock to realise | | | | course of the centuries after them. Such old bonsai |
| accent works. | | | | trees are extremely beautiful. Nevertheless, with the |
| After more than 230 years of the global isolation | | | | bonsai tree the age hasn't the highest priority, |
| Japan opened at the middle of 19th century to the | | | | however caring bonsai for years away and |
| rest of the world. The travellers came back from | | | | developing of the knowledge about the tree. It is |
| Japan and had seen the miniature trees in the | | | | most important that a bonsai tree can generate his |
| ceramic containers which copied ripe, high trees in the | | | | desired artistic effect and grows up in the right |
| nature. Then at the end of the century exhibitions | | | | proportion to the suitable container, so that the tree |
| followed in London, Vienna and Paris. Especially the | | | | can develop with good health. |
| Paris world exhibition in 1900 announced bonsai to the | | | | |