Only until recently have I learned from a Japanese bonsai friend that Zhong Kui (鍾馗 in Chinese) is not only a well-known mythology character in Chinese culture, but also in the Japanese culture. Well, I shouldn’t be too surprised since there is so much in common between the two cultures.

From time to time, I receive emails from customers asking me for more details about the few figurines of significant Chinese historical characters that are now selling in Happy Bonsai Shop. Some of these figurines are the most popular characters in Chinese history.

Shiwan figurines are known for their colorful and lively facial expressions. Here I would like to share with you some photos of the faces of these beautiful ceramic figurines. For more photos, please visit the album of Shiwan Figurine Faces in Happy Bonsai Gallery. All photos are taken during my last trip to Shiwan, Foshan.

Shiwan has been known for its beautiful earthenware figurines for hundreds of years. Indeed, the term “Shiwan figurine” is widely used to refer to all sculptures made in Shiwan. While many fans of Shiwan figurines are bonsai lovers who enjoy decorating their bonsai trees with Chinese figurines, others simply love collecting these

Penjing lovers like using bonsai figurines to decorate their penjing (bonsai in Chinese).  Most of these figurines are the traditional Chinese clay figurines of historical or mythology figures.  But in the 1st Institute of Lingnan Penjing Competition, I found that beside my use of Doraemon in my penjing, some of my penjing club fellow members
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There is something that one can often find in a Chinese penjing but never in a Japanese bonsai. That is Chinese figurine. As mentioned in an earlier post – Figurines in Penjing, instead of focusing on the tree itself, Chinese penjing artists work on creating a miniature natural scene in a bonsai pot or on
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As mentioned in an earlier post – Chinese Penjing & Japanese Bonsai, one of the major difference between Chinese penjing and Japanese bonsai is the scope of these two related art forms. With the meaning of the words – “bonsai” (盆栽) and “penjing” (盆景), it is clear that while the Japanese bonsai is focusing on
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A few days ago, I showed a set of bonsai figurines of the Eight Immortals to a friend from UK. I didn’t expect him to know anything about the Eight Immortals, and I was about to tell him more of this Chinese folklore. Yet, to my surprise, what my British friend knows of this group
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