Vietnamese Bonsai Landscapes - Hon Non Bo and Tieu Canh

Hon Non Bo, are a complete mountain scene in miniature, these are often an island mountain scene, in a shallow concrete container with water to represent the sea. In Vietnamese, Hon means Island, Non means mountain, and Bo an artful combination of water, mountain range and forest. Hon Non Bo is a mountain landscape reduced in scale, usually set in an area of the sea close to the shore, often with full, lush vegetation.

The inspiration for Hon Non Bo comes from the real world and from cultural beliefs. Making a modern day Hon Non Bo builds on and continues a long tradition of interest in and the belief of the power of rocks and the beauty of mountains and plants. Throughout Vietnamese history, Hon Non Bo have been built by emperors, kings, generals, and other important people as monuments, decorations, personal vistas, and cultural icons.

In Hon Non Bo, the rocks are arranged always to look like a mountain or a range of mountains and have features that make it different from other forms of living art. Hon Non Bo are designed to be seen from all sides so the mountain must look good not just from four sides but also from the top.