penjing, miniature chinese landscapes, at san francisco's conservatory of flowers

To celebrate Lunar New Year, the Conservatory of Flowers is presented a display of penjing, the miniature Chinese landscapes that were the precursor to the Japanese tradition of bonzai. The tiny landscapes are said to have begun as a way for China’s dynastic emperors to visualize the landscape of their far-flung empires. The landscapes will be on on display through April 27, 2008.

The photo above, by Josh Keppel, is from NBC11’s page about the show. There you can also find a slide show and a video featuring the Conservatory’s Nina Sazevich.