Rock Penjing, Recalling the Scenery South of the Yangtze River

Quoting the description on the display:

This scene represent the numerous islands and islets of Lake Tai, south of the Yangtze River. The lake is located in an area of natural beauty that has inspired many poets and lanscape painters over the years.

Such miniature rock landscapes are peculiar to China, and are artfully constructed by cementing carefully selected rocks together. A variety of plant material and, in some cases, figurines are added to complete the scene on a hand-carved marble tray.

This particular penjing was created especially for the Pacific Rim Bonsai collection at the City of Nanjing Botanical Garden. The name of the artist who created this work was not revealed due to Chinese collectivist philosophy.

The scene includes a couple more features not visible here, including a lighthouse and a tiny island.