The Dachen Islands , Tachen Islands or Tachens are a group of islands off the coast of Taizhou , Zhejiang , China, in the East China Sea . They are administered by the Jiaojiang District of Taizhou.
68-776: Before the First Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1955, the islands were administered by the Republic of China (ROC). Subsequently, they have been administered by the People's Republic of China . Until 1955, the Dachen (Tachen) Islands were administered by the Republic of China (ROC), the government of which had been based in Taiwan (200 miles (320 km) south of the Dachen Islands) since major fighting ceased in
136-481: A Lingnan school founder, held the first exhibition of artistic pot plants jointly with Mr. Liu Fei Yat in Hong Kong in 1968. This was a display of traditional aristocratic penjing which had survived the 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution by leaving/being protected from Mainland China. The two editions of Wu's Chinese/English book, Man Lung Garden Artistic Pot Plants , helped develop interest in this older form of what
204-410: A bourgeois pastime. After their trees were gone, some Chinese penjing masters, men in their sixties and seventies, were forced to do something considered socially redemptive—many were sent to fields to plant rice. However, in other areas of China, especially in eastern and southern China, penjing were collected for safe keeping. Wu Yee-sun (1905–2005), third generation penjing master and grandson of
272-671: A devastated South Korea to an increasingly divided Southeast Asia . The PLA initially planned to attack the Yijiangshan Islands in late 1954, but delayed the attack while American forces were conducting military exercises in that area. On 18 January 1955, the PLA seized the islands. Fighting continued on nearby islands off the coast of Zhejiang , as well as around Kinmen and the Matsu Islands in Fujian . On 29 January 1955,
340-538: A resumption of the military confrontation with the Red Chinese . Truman and his advisors regarded that goal as unrealizable, but regret over losing China to international communism was quite prominent in public opinion at the time, and the Truman Administration was criticized by anticommunists for preventing any attempt by Chiang Kai-shek's forces to liberate mainland China. Truman, a member of
408-615: A supporter of Taiwanese independence , in his book Formosa Betrayed , the political status of Taiwan was under the trust of the Allied Powers (against Japan). It would be the responsibility of the United Nations if this could not be resolved in near future as designed in the peace treaty. The ROC Nationalist Government (now based in Taiwan) maintained as its goal the recovery of control of mainland China, and this required
476-526: A war with the United States. The Chinese government is willing to sit down to discuss the question of relaxing tension in the Far East, and especially the question of relaxing tension in the Taiwan area." A month later, Mao likewise told Indonesian Prime Minister Ali Sastroamidjojo that all problems, including the status of Taiwan, could be resolved through negotiation. The crisis de-escalated, and
544-452: A wider range of tree shapes (more "natural-looking") and by planting them in bright-colored and creatively shaped pots. In contrast, bonsai are more simplified in shape (more "minimal" in appearance) with larger-in-proportion trunks and are planted in unobtrusive, low-sided containers with simple lines and muted colors. While saikei depicts living landscapes in containers, like water and land penjing , it does not use miniatures to decorate
612-519: Is 16.7 °C (62.1 °F), and the climate is a typical subtropical climate. The forest coverage rate is greater than 56% and it is the provincial level forest park. Due to the forces of nature such as that of tides and winds, there are many spectacular sceneries and the archipelago is called the Chinese Number One Oceanic Penjing ( 中国第一海上盆景 ). Another tourist attraction was the military fortifications left behind by
680-522: Is known to have supplied dwarf specimens for use in Suzhou restaurants in the province of Jiangsu . Although imperial embassy personnel and Buddhist students from Japan had returned from the mainland with miniature landscape souvenirs since the 6th century, the oldest known depiction of a dwarfed tray landscape in Japan dates from 1309. The fifth of the twenty-scroll Kasuga-gongen-genki masterpiece depicts
748-496: Is not limited to observation or representation of nature, but is also influenced by Chinese poetry, calligraphy, and other visual arts. Common penjing designs include evocation of dragons and the strokes of well-omened characters . At its highest level, the artistic value of penjing is on par with that of poetry , calligraphy , brush painting and garden art. Styles of the traditional Penjing in China are mainly classified by
SECTION 10
#1732765158309816-560: Is the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees , other plants , and landscapes in miniature . Penjing generally fall into one of three categories: Chinese cultural hegemony gave the practice influence over other cultures, engendering bonsai and saikei in Japan , as well as the miniature living landscapes of hòn non bộ in Vietnam . Generally speaking, tree penjing specimens differ from bonsai by allowing
884-759: The Cathay Pacific Airways with 10 deaths on 23 July, then 2 US aircraft carriers , Hornet and Philippine Sea arrived for a rescue mission on 26 July and shot down 2 PLAAF Lavochkin La-11 fighters . On 2 August, Commander of PLA in the Central Military Commission (CMC), Peng Dehuai convened an executive meeting to establish the tactical command on the East China Military Region as per CMC chairman Mao Zedong 's directive to open another front from
952-522: The Chinese Civil War . As the People's Liberation Army advanced through Fujian Province in the late 1940s, the U.S.-supported Nationalist forces under Chiang Kai-shek 's Kuomintang retreated to China’s offshore Islands. On 20 January 1955, the PLA's conquest of Yijiangshan led to the First Taiwan Strait Crisis . The Formosa Resolution of 1955 passed in Congress nine days later in
1020-567: The Chán school of Buddhism was established, in which renewed Indian dhyana Buddhist teachings were merged with native Chinese Daoism. Chán maintained its more active, vital spirit even as other Buddhist sects were becoming more rigidly formalized. While there were legends dating from at least the 3rd and 4th centuries of Daoist persons said to have had the power to shrink whole landscapes down to small vessel size, written descriptions of miniature landscapes are not known until Tang dynasty times. As
1088-601: The Democratic Party , did not run for reelection in the presidential election of 1952 , even though he was eligible to do so. This election was won by the Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower , a General from World War II. On 2 February 1953, the new president lifted the Seventh Fleet's blockade in order to fulfill demands by anticommunists to "unleash Chiang Kai-shek " on mainland China, hence
1156-734: The Formosa Resolution was approved by both houses of the U.S. Congress authorizing Eisenhower to use U.S. forces to defend the ROC and its possessions in the Taiwan Strait against armed attack. The U.S. Navy then assisted the Nationalists in evacuating their forces from the Tachen Islands . During the crisis, Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear weapons against PRC military targets in Fujian . On 12 September 1954,
1224-679: The Hoi Tong Monastery on Henan Island near Guangzhou . A collection of dwarf trees and plants from China was also exhibited that year in Brooklyn , New York. In America, laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act led to Japanese bonsai becoming more familiar to Americans. This led to the prevalence of knowledge of the Japanese forms of dwarf potted trees for the next several decades and prior to Chinese forms. Near
1292-607: The Kuomintang regime strengthened its Closed Port Policy of the aerial and naval blockade on foreign vessels on Chinese coast and the high seas , whereas the privacy activities intensified in the summer 1953 after Joseph Stalin 's death and the Korean Armistice Agreement till summed up to 141 interference incidents as per the Royal Navy escort reports. The CIA briefing on 13 July 1954 for
1360-688: The Matsu and Tachen (Dachen) islands. In response, the United States and the ROC agreed to the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty in December 1954. In January 1955, the PRC seized the Yijiangshan Islands . Later that month, the Formosa Resolution was approved by both houses of the U.S. Congress , authorizing President Dwight D. Eisenhower to defend the ROC and its possessions. The U.S. Navy helped ROC troops evacuate from
1428-588: The Matsu Islands . Despite warnings from the U.S. against any attacks on the Republic of China, five days before the signing of the Manila pact , the PLA unleashed a heavy artillery bombardment of Kinmen on September 3, during which two American military advisers were killed. Mao Zedong sought to avoid United States involvement in the conflict and gave repeated orders that the PLA should avoid engaging with
SECTION 20
#17327651583091496-658: The Quemoy-Matsu Crisis , and the 1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis ) was a brief armed conflict between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) focused on several ROC-held islands a few miles from the Chinese mainland in the Taiwan Strait . The crisis began when the PRC initiated heavy bombardment of Kinmen (Quemoy) island in September 1954. Shelling was subsequently extended to
1564-551: The Treaty of San Francisco of 1951 (the peace treaty with Japan), which excluded the participation of both the ROC and the PRC. Each self-claimed legitimate government of China was excluded from the treaty because the question of China's legitimate government remained unresolved after World War II and the Chinese Civil War , and this was considered an intractable sticking point in otherwise comprehensive and multilaterally beneficial peace negotiations. Japan ceded control of Taiwan in
1632-567: The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended the use of nuclear weapons against mainland China. On 2 December 1954, the United States and the ROC agreed to the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty , which did not apply to islands along the Chinese mainland. This treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate on 9 February 1955. In February 1955, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned the U.S. against using nuclear weapons, but in March, U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles stated publicly that
1700-680: The White House and NSC indicated the shipping insurance increasement across the South China Sea after the Tuapse Incident on 23 June, and certain international liners being deterred midway at Singapore , or had to change plans. The PLA Air Force moved in the Hainan Island to clear another transport route through Yulin and Huangpu ports, but accidentally shot down a Douglas DC-4 (VR-HEU) airliner of
1768-601: The nationalists during the Chinese Civil War in the post- World War II era because the archipelago was the site of the Battle of Dachen Archipelago in the First Taiwan Strait Crisis . First Taiwan Strait Crisis Ceasefire; major escalation avoided The First Taiwan Strait Crisis (also known as the Formosa Crisis , the 1954–1955 Taiwan Strait Crisis , the Offshore Islands Crisis ,
1836-453: The 2nd century BC, a unique incense burner was designed. The boshanlu stemmed cup was topped by a perforated lid in the shape of one of the sacred mountains/islands, such as Mount Penglai – focus of a strong contemporary belief – often with the images of mythical persons and beasts throughout the hillsides. Smaller versions of the pen dish were sometimes used as bottom pieces either to catch hot embers or to be filled with water to represent
1904-586: The American forces off the coast. In November, the PLA bombed the Tachen Islands . This renewed Cold War fears of Communist expansion in Asia at a time when the PRC was not recognized by the United States Department of State . Chiang Kai-shek 's government was supported by the United States because the ROC was part of the United States' policy of containment of communism which stretched from
1972-942: The China Penjing Artists Association was likewise established. The Hong Kong Baptist University opened the Man Lung Garden in 2000 to promote the Chinese heritage of penjing. Temporarily located on the university's Shaw Campus, in February 2005 a permanent site was set up at the Kam Shing Road Entrance of its Ho Sin Hang Campus. Using artificially dwarfed trees and shrubs, these arrangements are created in special trays or pots which are placed on ornately carved wooden stands. Often, rocks, miniature ceramic structures (like buildings and bridges), and figurines are added to give
2040-448: The PRC. Others see the case as an example of effective application of extended deterrence by the United States. On 1 May the PLA temporarily ceased shelling Kinmen and Matsu. The fundamental issues of the conflict remained unresolved, however, and both sides subsequently built up their military forces on their respective sides of the Taiwan Strait leading to a new crisis three years later . Eisenhower's threats to use nuclear weapons during
2108-951: The Tachen Islands. The crisis de-escalated in April 1955 after Premier Zhou Enlai articulated the PRC's intention to negotiate with the United States at the Bandung Conference , and in May 1955 the People's Liberation Army ceased shelling Kinmen and Matsu. Ambassadorial-level discussions between China and the U.S. began in Geneva in August 1955. The fundamental issues of the conflict remained unresolved, which led to another crisis three years later . The United States recognized Chiang Kai-shek 's Nationalist ( Kuomintang ) government as
Dachen Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-483: The Taiwan Strait. On 27 June 1950, Truman issued the following statement: The attack upon Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt that communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war. It has defied the orders of the Security Council of the United Nations issued to preserve international peace and security. In these circumstances
2244-523: The U.S. was seriously considering a nuclear strike. In response, the NATO foreign ministers warned at a meeting of the alliance against such action. In late March, U.S. Admiral Robert B. Carney said that Eisenhower is planning "to destroy Red China 's military potential." At the April 1955 Bandung Conference , China articulated its Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and Premier Zhou Enlai publicly stated, "[T]he Chinese people do not want to have
2312-615: The United States as they lacked strong social networks and access to opportunities in Taiwan. Chefs from the Dachen Islands had a strong influence on American Chinese food . The islands are located in the Gulf of Taizhou, off the coast of Zhejiang , the People's Republic of China . The archipelago is sandwiched between Zhoushan in the north and the Nanjishan Liedao ( 南麂山列岛 ; 'Southern Muntjac Archipelago ') in
2380-514: The United States and China began ambassadorial-level discussions in Geneva on August 1, 1955. Two years of negotiations with the United States followed, and covered many issues, although no agreement was reached on the primary issue, Taiwan. Some scholars hypothesized the PRC backed down in the face of American nuclear brinksmanship and in light of the lack of willingness by the Soviet Union to threaten nuclear retaliation for an attack on
2448-574: The United States, leading to the orderly evacuation (Operation Pullback) of the Dachen Islands by the United States Navy in February. At the time, they served as the temporary capital of the Chekiang Province in exile. The U.S. Seventh Fleet used 132 boats and 400 aircraft to move 14,500 civilians, 10,000 Republic of China servicemen and 4,000 guerrilla fighters, along with 40,000 tons of military equipment and supplies from
2516-516: The West only knew as the later-refined Japanese art of bonsai . The Yuk Sui Yuen Penzai Exhibition was held in Canton in 1978. This was the first public show in ten years with approximately 250 penjing from private collections displayed in a public park. Antique pots were also shown. The Shanghai Botanical Garden opened that year and permanently displays 3,000 penjing. The First National Penjing Show
2584-477: The adaptation of advanced technology which significantly reduced the need for manual labour, the local population has not recovered to its peak level despite the income generated has already been higher than that of the traditional fishery peak in the past, and in fact, the current local population was not much higher than the lowest point in the late-1980s. To diversify the local economy, tourism has become another major source of income. The annual average temperature
2652-521: The creation of miniature landscapes. Smaller and younger plants which could be collected closer to civilization but still bore a resemblance to the rugged old treasures from the mountains would also have been chosen. Horticultural techniques to increase the appearance of age by emphasizing trunk, root, and branch size, texture, and shapes would eventually be employed with these specimens. From Tang times onward, various poets and essayists praised dwarf potted landscapes. A decorative tree guild from around 1276
2720-595: The crisis prompted Mao to begin China's nuclear program. The first of China's nuclear weapons tests took place in 1964 and its first successful hydrogen bomb test occurred in 1967. [REDACTED] Communist Party / [REDACTED] Soviet Republic ( [REDACTED] Red Army ) → Liberated Area ( [REDACTED] 8th Route Army , New Fourth Army , etc. → [REDACTED] People's Liberation Army ) → [REDACTED] People's Republic of China Penjing Penjing , also known as penzai ,
2788-500: The early 1960s, it is reported that some 60 characteristic regional forms of penjing could be distinguished by the expert eye. A few of these forms dated back to at least the 16th century. During the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution (May 1966-April 1969), one relatively small effect was that many collections of penjing in mainland China , especially around Beijing, were damaged or neglected because they were seen as
Dachen Islands - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-433: The end of the 18th century, Yangzhou in central Jiangsu province boasted landscape penjing that contained water and soil. In 1806, a very old dwarf tree from Canton (now Guangzhou ) was gifted to Sir Joseph Banks and eventually presented to Queen Charlotte for Her Majesty's inspection. This tree and most others seen by Westerners in southeast China probably originated at the celebrated Fa Ti gardens near Canton. By
2924-618: The end of the 19th century, the Lingnan or Cantonese school of "Clip and Grow" styling was developed at a monastery in southeast China. Fast-growing tropical trees and shrubs could be more easily and quickly shaped using these techniques. Established in 1954, the Longhua nursery in Shanghai included the teaching of classical theory and all aspects of the practice of penjing, a process which could take student-gardeners ten years. As late as
2992-680: The essence and spirit of nature through contrasts. Philosophically, it is influenced by the principles of Taoism , specifically the concept of Yin and Yang : the idea of the universe as governed by two primal forces, opposing but complementary. Some of the contrasting concepts used in penjing include portrayal of "dominance and subordination, emptiness (void) and substance, denseness and sparseness, highness and lowness, largeness and smallness, life and death, dynamics and statics, roughness and meticulousness, firmness and gentleness, lightness and darkness, straightness and curviness, verticality and horizontality, and lightness and heaviness." Design inspiration
3060-588: The first half of the 19th century, according to various Western accounts, air layering was the primary propagation method for penjing, which were then generally between one and two feet in height after two to twenty years of work. Elms were the main specimens used, along with pines, junipers, cypresses, and bamboos; plums were the favored fruit trees, along with peaches and oranges. The branches could be bent and shaped using various forms of bamboo scaffolding , twisted lead strips, and iron or brass wire to hold them in place; they could also be cut, burnt, or grafted. The bark
3128-514: The frescoes show two maid servants carrying penjing with miniature rockeries and fruit trees. The first highly prized trees are believed to have been collected in the wild and were full of twists, knots, and deformities. These were seen as sacred, of no practical profane value for timber or other ordinary purpose. These naturally dwarfed plants were held to be endowed with special concentrated energies due to age and origin away from human influence. The viewpoint of Chán Buddhism would continue to impact
3196-410: The household of a wealthy Japanese individual who has an outdoors slatted-workbench holding a shallow wooden tray and ceramic dish of Chinese origin with dwarf trees, grasses, and stones. By this time Chán Buddhism had been developed in Japan as Zen . Its influence of "beauty in severe austerity" led native Japanese dwarf potted landscapes to be distilled into single, ideal trees being representatives of
3264-490: The information at that point shows a somewhat developed craft, (then called "punsai") the making of dwarfed tree landscapes had to have been taking place for a while, either in China or possibly based on a form brought in from outside. The earliest-known graphic dates from 706 and is found in a wall mural on a corridor leading to the tomb of Prince Zhang Huai at the Qianling Mausoleum site. Excavated in 1972,
3332-579: The island. Three days after the evacuation, the islands were taken by the People’s Liberation Army. Chiang Kai-shek grudgingly allowed the island to fall to the Communists so that the other offshore island groups, Kinmen and Matsu , could be successfully defended. The civilian population of the islands was resettled in mostly Yilan County, Taiwan , but also in other urban areas in Taiwan. Many of those evacuated to Taiwan later moved to
3400-428: The landscape features found outside. Penjing pots grace pavilions, private studies or living rooms, and public buildings. They are either free-standing elements within the gardens or are placed on furniture such as a table or bookshelf. Sometimes a lattice display stand is built which adds particular prominence to the penjing specimen and exemplifies the interplay between architecture and nature. Penjing seeks to capture
3468-404: The living landscape. Hòn non bộ focuses on depicting landscapes of islands and mountains, usually in contact with water and decorated with live trees and other plants. Like water and land penjing , hòn non bộ specimens can feature miniature figures, vehicles, and structures. Distinctions among these traditional forms have been blurred by some practitioners outside of Asia, as enthusiasts explore
SECTION 50
#17327651583093536-621: The mainland. The 7th Fleet will see that this is done. The determination of the future status of Formosa must await the restoration of security in the Pacific, a peace settlement with Japan , or consideration by the United Nations . President Truman later ordered John Foster Dulles , the Foreign Policy Advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson , to carry out his decision on "neutralizing" Taiwan in drafting
3604-415: The natural resources were depleted and as a result, most of the local population was forced to migrate to the mainland in the late-1980s and the local populace experienced a drastic decrease to a fraction of what it once was. To compensate for the depletion of natural resources, aquaculture has become prosperous and the archipelago is currently one of the largest aquaculture bases in the region. However, due to
3672-417: The north. In August 1954, the Nationalists placed 58,000 troops on Kinmen and 15,000 troops on Matsu. The ROC began building defensive structures and the PRC began shelling ROC installations on Kinmen. Zhou Enlai , PRC premier responded with a declaration on 11 August 1954, that Taiwan must be "liberated." He dispatched the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to the area, and it began shelling both Kinmen and
3740-403: The occupation of Formosa by Communist forces would be a direct threat to the security of the Pacific area and to United States forces performing their lawful and necessary functions in that area. Accordingly, I have ordered the 7th Fleet to prevent any attack on Formosa. As a corollary of this action, I am calling upon the Chinese Government on Formosa to cease all air and sea operations against
3808-408: The ocean out of which the sacred mountains/islands arose. Originally made out of bronze, ceramic, or talc stone, some later versions were believed to be stones which occasionally were partly covered with moss and lichens to further heighten the miniature representation. Since at least the 1st century AD, Daoist mysticism has included the recreating of magical sites in miniature to focus and increase
3876-445: The potential of local plant and pot materials without strict adherence to traditional styling and display guidelines. Classical Chinese gardens often contain arrangements of miniature trees and rockeries known as penjing. These creations of carefully pruned trees and rocks are small-scale renditions of natural landscapes. They are often referred to as living sculptures or as three-dimensional poetry. Their artistic composition captures
3944-479: The proper scales as part of the natural scenery. These miniatures add to the symbolism of a penjing specimen, by providing a social or historical context in which to interpret the overall penjing design. These miniature landscapes include trees which are frequently over a hundred years old. Like the plants in the Chinese garden, they have been carefully selected and tended so that they develop into twisted and gnarled shapes reminiscent of their full-size counterparts in
4012-409: The properties found in the full-size sites. The various schools of Buddhism introduced from India after the mid-2nd century included the meditative dhyana sect , whose translations of Sanskrit texts sometimes used Daoist terminology to convey non-physical concepts. Also, floral altar decorations were introduced and floral designs started to become a dominant force in Chinese art. Five centuries later
4080-426: The significantly improved economic conditions; growth would be most pronounced particularly in coastal provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang , Fujian , Guangdong as well as Shanghai. There would be increasing numbers of good public and private collections, the latter with anywhere from several hundred to several thousand pieces. By the end of 1981, the China Flower and Penjing Association was formed, and seven years later
4148-422: The sole legitimate government for all of China. On January 5, 1950, United States President Harry S. Truman issued a statement that the United States would not become involved in "the civil conflict in China" and would not provide military aid or advice to the Nationalist forces on Taiwan. As the Korean War broke out, the United States resumed military aid to the ROC and sent the US Navy's Seventh Fleet into
SECTION 60
#17327651583094216-429: The south, and it is located 52 km (32 mi) from Jiaojiang District , which it administratively belongs to. Dachen Archipelago consists of a total of 29 islands, islets, and rocks, totalling 14.6 square kilometres (5.6 sq mi). The fishing industry had long been the backbone of the local economy and the region was one of the largest of the Chinese class II fisheries. However, after decades of overfishing,
4284-431: The spirit of nature and distinguishes them from ordinary potted plants. The container known as the pen originated in Neolithic China in the Yangshao culture as an earthenware shallow dish with a foot. It was later one of the vessels manufactured in bronze for use in court ceremonies and religious rituals during the Shang dynasty and Zhou dynasty . When foreign trade introduced into China new herbal aromatics in
4352-414: The treaty but did not specify a recipient for Taiwan's sovereignty. This situation has been used by supporters of Taiwan independence to argue for their position that the sovereignty status of Taiwan was undetermined, despite the Japanese having already agreed to return Taiwan to Republic of China through their Instrument of Surrender signed at end of the War. According to the author George H. Kerr ,
4420-496: The universe. What is termed bonsai derives from this. Since at least the 16th century, shops at the "Garden of Dragon Flowers" ( Longhua ) to the southwest of Shanghai , were engaged in cultivating miniature trees in containers. (These would continue to the present day.) Meanwhile, Suzhou was still considered at century's end to be the source of the finest exponents of the art of penjing. The earliest-known English observation of penjing in China/ Macau dates from 1637. During
4488-414: The wild. Like Chinese gardens , these miniature landscapes are designed to convey landscapes experienced from various viewpoints - a close-up view, a medium-range view or a panorama. As an art form, penjing is an extension of the garden, since it enables an artist to recreate parts of the natural landscape in miniature. Penjing is often used indoors as part of a garden's overall design, since it reiterates
4556-434: Was held the following year in Beijing with over 1,100 exhibits from 13 provinces, towns, and autonomies. One division of the Hangzhou Flower Nursery by 1981 specialized in penjing, including over fifteen hundred once abandoned older specimens being maintained and in the initial stages of being retrained. The art of penjing would again become vastly popular in China, in part due to stability returning to most people's lives and
4624-411: Was sometimes lacerated at places or smeared with sugary substance to induce termites ("white ants") to roughen it or even to eat the similarly sweetened heartwood. Rocks with moss or lichens were also a frequent feature of these compositions. The earliest known photograph from China which included penjing was made c.1868 by John Thomson . He was particularly delighted by the collection in the garden of
#308691