Twin Lotus Flowers

Twin Lotus Flowers

　　The twin lotus flowers are among the scenic wonders known as "Fine Spots of Jade Mountain" as referred to by Gu Aying (also known as Dehui), a poet from the late Yuan Dynasty. Originally located at Dongting in Zhengyi Town, they are also called the "Dongting Lotus." Legend has it that they were planted by Gu Aying himself, and came in varieties such as "Twin Sepals Side by Side," "Four Directions Worshiping Guanyin," and "Nine-Grade Lotus Throne." The flower heads sometimes clustered as many as 13 blooms, but the best-known type is the "Twin by Twin."

　　The twin lotus flower is a rare ornamental plant, characterized by small leaves, shallow lotus roots, and the fact that it does not bear lotus pods.

　　In the 1950s, the Dongting twin lotus flowers were relocated to Tinglin Park in the county town, and later transplanted to Suzhou’s Humble Administrator’s Garden and Hangzhou’s West Lake. Zhou Shoujuan

　　wrote about them, describing them as "unsurpassed in both color and fragrance, unlike ordinary flowers." Nowadays, the twin lotus flowers in Tinglin Park bloom more luxuriantly than ever. With their crimson beauty set against emerald green and their fragrance wafting far and wide, they are truly a feast for the eyes.