Penjing

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/penjing

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the artistic tradition origin?China, over 1,000 years ago
2. What is the philosophical underpinnings?Influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, emphasizing harmony with nature and patience
3. How do Penjing artists shape the trees?They use wiring, pruning, and defoliation to bend and trim the branches. This makes the trees look old and weathered, like real trees that have survived many seasons.
4. What are the three main styles of Penjing?The three styles are Shumu penjing, which focuses on one or more trees; Shanshui penjing, which recreates miniature mountains and valleys with rocks and plants; and Shuihan penjing, which mixes trees, landscapes, water, and tiny figures to tell a story.

Penjing: An ancient Chinese art of horticultural sculpture, creating miniature trees and landscapes in containers.
Shumu Penjing: A style focusing on the artistic representation and shaping of one or more miniature trees.
Shanshui Penjing: A style that recreates miniature natural landscapes using rocks, water, and small plants.
Shuihan Penjing: A combined style featuring miniature trees, landscapes, water elements, and often decorative figures or structures.