Penjing (Yangzhou School)

National ICH · Batch 2
Origin

The Yangzhou school of penjing took shape in the Ming and matured in the Qing, developing roughly in step with Chinese penjing as a whole and closely tied to the salt-merchant fashion for gardens. It is one of the representative schools of the art.

The art form

Yangzhou penjing arranges plants and curious stones within a pot, fusing poetry, calligraphy, painting and craft. Refined and antique-elegant in form, its hallmark is the palm-fibre training method of "three bends per inch," which it alone masters.

Cultural significance

The Yangzhou-school penjing craft entered the second national ICH list in 2008 and is an important part of Chinese garden and penjing art.

Related
Heritage Site:Ge Garden