Lotus, referred to as lotus, has other names: lotus, hibiscus, hibiscus, lotus, water fungus, lingcao... and many more. The image of lotus has appeared very early in our country's cultural stories. There are such poems in "The Book of Songs": "In the Bei River, there are mint and lotus flowers", "In the Bei area of ??Bize County, there are mint and lotus flowers", "There are Fusu in the mountains, and lotus flowers in the hills". There is also a poem like this in "Chu Ci·Li Sao": "The hibiscus is mixed with lotus flowers, and the screen with purple stems is full of green waves." These all illustrate the relationship between Chinese people and lotus.

In Chinese culture, the lotus has always been compared to a gentleman. Since ancient times, Chinese people have loved this plant, thinking it is a symbol of noble moral character that is pure and unconventional. There is a poem praising it: "The lotus grows in the mud, but it is not in harmony with the mud."

Painter Ding Ke's work "Lotus Rhythm" (works selected from: Yicong.com)

In Chinese literature, there are countless poems and songs about lotus, including Cao Zhi's "Fu Rong Fu" said: "Looking at the luxuriance of hundreds of flowers, there is no such thing as a single flower." "Qunfang Pu" said: "Everything is beautiful first and then solid, and this is the only one where the flowers and solids come together. Hundreds of knots are dredged, and all the orifices are exquisite. , the graceful thing emerges from the mud but remains unstained, and is the gentleman among the flowers." Later, Zhou Dunyi's "On Love of the Lotus" connected the lotus with various types of characters, "Chrysanthemum, the hermit flower; peony, the flower. The lotus is also the flower of wealth and honor; the lotus is also the flower of the gentleman." It can be seen that the lotus has a beautiful image of a gentleman in people's hearts.

In addition to the gentlemanly character of the lotus, there are also many statements about the lotus in our folk customs. The lotus with one pedicle and two flowers is called the lotus with double pedicles, which symbolizes the harmony between man and woman and the love between husband and wife. There are often words in newlywed couplets such as "The winged bird will always live in the evergreen trees, and the hoof flowers will bloom for a long time in the industrious and thrifty family". The lotus root is broken and the silk is connected, which is often used to express that although a man and a woman have broken up, their love is still there.

Painter Ding Ke's work "Summer Fun" (works selected from: Yicong.com)

Some symbolic meanings of lotus:

Symbolizing incorruptibility: cover "green" "Lotus" is homophonic to "incorruptible";

Symbolizes love: Covered lotus is also known as hibiscus flower, or cloud water hibiscus. "Furong", "Furong" also. Bai Juyi also said in "Song of Everlasting Sorrow": "Hibiscus is like a face and willows are like eyebrows." Therefore, lotus is often used to symbolize love. The phenomenon of two lotuses giving birth to one lotus root is called "lotus flowers with one heart";

Gift-giving symbols: lotus and peony. Being together is called "prosperity and wealth", and the lotus and a heron are called "prosperity all the way". Peonies, lotuses and white-headed flowers are called "wealth, glory and splendor till the old age". Lotus can also be pronounced as "lian". Lotus pods plus lotus seeds are called "continuous noble sons";

Symbolizes purity and purity: in China, the lotus is respected as a gentleman. It is said in "Qunfang Pu" that "all things are beautiful first and then real, and this is the only flower." All the knots are unblocked, all the orifices are exquisite, the pavilions and pavilions are blooming, emerging from the mud but not stained, and they are the gentlemen among the flowers." Later, there was Zhou Dunyi's "The Theory of Love and Lotus", which had a profound influence;

The symbol of the festival. : The Wuhan Lotus Festival lasts for three months, from July to October, with the theme of "Lotus Water Town, Beautiful Caidian" as the theme.

Painter Ding Ke’s work "Lotus Rhythm" (work selected from: Yicong.com)

It is said that in the fifth century AD, Donghun Hou of the Southern Qi Dynasty "cut gold into lotus flowers to cover the ground. I asked Concubine Pan to walk on top of her and said: 'Lotus flowers will grow at every step!' Therefore, later generations called the beauty's steps the lotus steps, and also called the woman's slender feet the golden lotus.

The lotus in Buddhism is sacred. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sitting or standing on lotus thrones symbolize their sacred origins. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are imagined to be pure and flawless, extremely good and beautiful, and their bodies, speech, and minds are absolutely pure. Emerging from the mud and remaining unstained, the lotus is a major Buddhist symbol of purity and annihilation.

Since "Lotus" is a homophone to "harmony" and "合", and "Lotus" is a homophone to "Lian" and "Lian", in traditional Chinese culture, lotus is often used as a symbol of peace, harmony and cooperation. , a symbol of force, unity, alliance, etc.; the nobility of the lotus symbolizes the cause of peace and the nobility of a harmonious world. Lotus varieties are rich and colorful, which means "the lotus (harmony) makes them different", but together they form a noble world of lotus flowers, which means "the lotus (harmony) is the most valuable".

Painter Ding Ke’s work "Qingyun" (work selected from: Yicong.com)

Under the new historical conditions, promoting the idea of ??"noble harmony" is conducive to the coordination of all aspects interests, properly handle the interests of people from different strata and aspects, enhance the ability to properly handle contradictions among the people under the new situation, guide the masses to express their interest needs in a rational and legal form, resolve conflicts of interests, maintain stability and unity, and strive to build socialist harmony society, thereby promoting the construction of social material civilization, spiritual civilization and political civilization. To carry forward the idea of ??"noble harmony" and build a harmonious socialist society, we must correctly handle the relationship between democratic political construction and economic development, the relationship between development and stability, and the relationship between efficiency and fairness.

I sincerely hope that the lotus culture can be understood and known by more people in the process of promoting a culture of peace and harmony. Carrying forward the Chinese culture of "harmony" is of special significance to our cause of promoting the reunification of the motherland, safeguarding world peace, and building a harmonious society.

More traditional Chinese lotus paintings are available on Yicong.com.