Hòn Non Bộ is the Vietnamese art of making miniature landscapes, imitating the scenery of the islands, mountains and surrounding environment as found in nature. It is a particular local development of the Chinese art of penjing, as was bonsai in Japan.
The phrase Hòn Non Bộ comes from the Vietnamese language : Hòn means Island, Non means Mountain, and Bộ means a combination of water, mountain range and forest, or it can also mean "imitating the way the scenery looks in miniature".
Hòn Non Bộ may be quite large and elaborate or small and simple. It was used to grace the courtyard entrance of the traditional Vietnamese home. Throughout Vietnam history, Hòn Non Bộ have been built for emperors, generals, and other important people as monuments, decorations, personal vistas, and as cultural icons.
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