Lotus Flowers in Zhoucheng

Lotus Flowers in Zhoucheng

　　Zhoucheng is an ancient and renowned city. Established in the third year of the Xianping era of the Song Dynasty (1000 AD), it has a history of over a thousand years and once served as the administrative seat during the periods when Dongping was a prefecture or a circuit. Located by the Dongping Lake, the area features low-lying terrain surrounded by emerald waters, embodying the charm of a water town. The vast expanse of water provides ideal conditions for the growth and abundant harvest of Zhoucheng’s lotus roots. According to the *Dongping Prefecture Annals*, “At the turn of summer and autumn, lotuses cover half the city, fishing boats sing at dusk, and the scenery is serene, rivaling that of the south of the Yangtze.” The city is filled with lush lotus leaves and willow tendrils, earning it the reputation of “green hills outside the city walls, a lake within; myriad lotus blooms and thousands of willow trees.” To this day, it retains this naturally beautiful landscape.

　　Zhoucheng lies at the confluence of the ancient Ji River and Wen River. The rushing rivers bring rich organic matter to the soil, making it highly suitable for lotus cultivation. This plant is also the top choice for beautifying the water town’s environment, hence its long history of cultivation and large planting area, which at its peak exceeded a thousand mu. Before the 1970s, behind the mosque, the view in summer was an endless sea of lotuses. Every June, one could gaze upon lotus leaves stretching as far as the eye could see around the city, with lotus flowers in full bloom everywhere—“Boundless green lotus leaves merge with the sky; lotus blossoms under the sun glow with unique red.” Viewing the lotuses became a great delight for people. As the ancients said, “Lotus leaves like clouds, their fragrance unbroken; small boats sway as they enter Dongping”—a true depiction of the water town scenery around Zhoucheng in those days.

　　With the changes of history, the area of lotus flowers in Zhoucheng has now decreased somewhat, currently covering approximately 500 mu.

　　The lotus, also known as the water lily, is a perennial aquatic plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. Its fruit is oval or elliptical, slightly pointed at both ends. The surface is gray-brown or gray-black with a grayish-white powder that can be rubbed off to reveal a slight sheen. The lotus grows in shallow water, with thick, elongated underground stems that have nodes. Its leaves, called lotus leaves, are round, and its flowers are large, pale red or white, and fragrant. The flowers are called lotus flowers, lotus blossoms, or hibiscus. They bloom in summer, often opening around 8 a.m. Folk tradition regards the 24th day of the sixth lunar month as the birthday of the lotus. The lotus has been cultivated in China since ancient times. The *Book of Songs* records, “By the marsh’s edge, there are cattails and lotuses.” The great poet Qu Yuan of the Warring States period also described robes made of lotus and hibiscus in his *Li Sao*. The *Yuefu Poetry* includes verses such as “Green lotus leaves cover the blue water, hibiscus flowers glow bright red. Below grow connected lotus roots, above bloom twin lotus flowers.”

　　With its beauty, the lotus is often used in literary works as a metaphor for feminine beauty. For example, in Yuan Zhen’s poem *Liu Ruan’s Wife*, it says: “The lotus’ flesh is like rouge, her hair like dark clouds; painted pavilions and green mountains.” Here, the lotus is compared to a beautiful woman. The lotus is also symbolic of purity and integrity due to its noble character, often representing a gentleman untainted by worldly corruption. For instance, the famous Song Dynasty philosopher Zhou Dunyi described in his *In Praise of the Lotus*: “I alone love the lotus that rises unsullied from the mud, bathed in clear ripples yet not vulgar; hollow inside yet straight, without sprawling or branching; its fragrance drifts farther as it grows purer, standing upright and clean, to be admired from afar but not toyed with.” With deep emotion, he praises the lotus’s pure, steadfast virtue and character.

　　As an ornamental plant, the lotus has been widely introduced across various regions. Building ponds to plant lotuses and constructing pavilions by the water to create lotus-viewing scenic areas are traditional techniques in Chinese garden design. Zhoucheng, as a millennia-old city situated by the Dongping Lake, has a long tradition of lotus cultivation. Historically renowned sites such as the Confucius Temple (once as famous as the one in Qufu) were located in the northern part of Zhoucheng, surrounded by lotuses on all sides.

　　The lotus flowers in Zhoucheng may not have many varieties, only red and white, but their blossoms are large and brightly colored. When in full bloom, the red lotuses blaze like sunset clouds or flames, while the white ones are as pure as ice or snow. Lotus blooms as big as bowls sway in the wind, filling the air with fragrance and dazzling the eyes with their vibrant colors—an awe-inspiring and magnificent sight.

　　The lotuses in Zhoucheng are also grown for consumption. Their underground lotus roots are a famous dish—Zhoucheng lotus roots are snow-white, crisp, and tender, with no fibers. Due to the large area of lotus fields, the lotus leaves here are also very well-known and are eagerly purchased every year by vendors selling pickled fish, as well as those dealing in beef, mutton, and dog meat. The leaves are used to wrap cooked meats, imparting a deliciously fragrant and fresh taste.

　　Besides Zhoucheng, our county has two other major lotus-growing areas. One is along the route from Zhoucheng Town by the lake to Shanglaozhuang Township, where ponds on both sides of the road are planted with lotuses. In summer, the blooming flowers create a tapestry-like scene, earning the area the name “Forty-Li Lotus Belt.” The other is in Daotunwa, where before 1970, the 30,000-mu water surface was covered in vast reeds and lotuses in summer. “Rice, reeds, and lotus fragrance” is one of the ancient eight scenic spots of our county.