Chinese people have an abiding fondness for lotus flowers. Literary people through the ages praised the lotus, chanted the eulogy of the lotus and painted lotuses. It is the subject of poems and paintings with great artistic appeal; it is the material of graceful dances; and it is a common pattern and design in various architectural decorations, sculptures and daily utensils. The adoration of the lotus has formed a unique “Lotus culture,” lasting a long time in China.
Furthermore, the lotus flower is the most frequently used object in poems. “Hang my head and touch the lotus, it is as clear as water,” says one poet to envision the purity of love. A “lotus-like face” is the greatest possible compliment for a women’s external charm.
In Chinese, the word for lotus is pronounced “HE,” the same as the word which means harmony. So in folk paintings, the images of two fairies, holding a lotus and a box in their hands, are used to symbolize auspiciousness and harmony.
Lotus as symbol of rectitude: In Chinese, the word for a lotus of a light blue color is pronounced similarly to the word for rectitude. The lotus is used to illustrate an official’s incorruptibility.
The Lotus’s meaning in Buddhism: Buddha is sometimes depicted sitting on a Lotus flower, symbolizing the one who overcame the pain that prevails in the material world and became enlightened, just like the Lotus flower, which starts to grow in the dirty and muddy water but manages to surpass the water and produce a perfect flower. The water, in many different belief systems, represents the material world, or the physical realm.
Legend has it that the 14th day of June in the Chinese lunar calendar is the lotus’s birthday, commonly known as the Lotus Festival. This custom originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and on that day people, especially in southern China, will hold various kinds of celebration activities. They come to a lotus pond and enjoy the graceful scenery of lotuses.
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