The japanese bonzai derives from chinese "penjing" but it is not quite the same: the chinese (and vietnamese) do much more of the full landscape-on-a-plate kind

The japanese bonzai derives from chinese "penjing" but it is not quite the same: the chinese (and vietnamese) do much more of the full landscape-on-a-plate kind, where the trees are only a part of the work. This, to me, is closer to the original intent of the thing: when you are too poor to have a nice garden, you can still grab a stone and make a mock-up mountain in your room. Then, with a bit of imagination, while looking at your penjing, you'll have the most incredible trecks ever.