By now,nobody would know the precise time of origin of bonsai,but that can be asured,in 200 B.C.in China they appeared in the poems and works of paint.In the history,there were several stages as follows.
During Han Dynasty, in about 200 A.C.there appeared a kind mini-landscape put on a big plate named "penjing",which was consistent of mountain, river,trees,house and animal and so on.That was the earliest so called "bonsai".
During Tang Dynasty,a flourishing time for arts in Chinese history, the arts of bonsai also reached its highly developed time.At that time, designing of bonsai or mini-landscape has been the hobby of the artists and the peopoe from the upper class.The standard of designing is the harmony between the plants and pots.By now, the experienced Chinese bonsai lover still care about the match of the measurement of plant and pot and they prefer to select the pots of classical artistic style.
During Ming Dynasty in about 15th -16th century ,the arts of bonsai in China reached a new high level. The bonsai-designers took the landscape-paints as their sources of creation.
During Ching Dynasty about in 1644-1911 A.C.in some cities of Southeast China,people began holding the contention of bonsai-designing.The masterpieces of bonsai and superior designers were concentrated there.The exchange of skills pushed the arts of bonsai forward step by step.By far,Southeast China is still the important original land of bonsai.