Seven Treasures Lotus Pond

　　The pond is planted with varieties such as Ohga Lotus, Wufei Lotus, China-Japan Friendship Lotus, Dongpo Lotus, Hairui Lotus, and Hangzhou Manyuanxiang Lotus. Among them, the most precious is the Ohga Lotus, which was once taken to Japan and later returned to its homeland.

　　Ohga Lotus

　　It is said that two thousand years ago, a Chinese ship sank in Japan. In 1953, this ancient ship was discovered and excavated from seven meters underground at the farm of the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the University of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Three lotus seeds were found on this ancient ship. Thanks to the careful cultivation by the renowned botanist Dr. Ichiro Ohga, one of the seeds sprouted new leaves the following year. This miracle of life was named the “Ohga Lotus.”

　　After Dr. Ohga passed away, his student, Mr. Shoji Sakamoto, continued his mentor’s legacy by further cultivating the Ohga Lotus, helping it flourish throughout Japan. To fulfill his teacher’s wish of bringing the Ohga Lotus back to its place of origin, Mr. Sakamoto’s student — Mr. Toshihiro Nikai, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives, Secretary-General of the Conservative New Party, former Minister of Transport, and President of the Japan Tourism Association — personally brought the Ohga Lotus back from Japan on April 12, 2003, and entrusted it to Jiang Xiaosong, the “Father of Bo’ao,” to be planted in the Seven Treasures Lotus Pond.

　　Today, they bloom alongside other varieties of lotus in the Seven Treasures Lotus Pond. Visiting the pond not only allows you to admire the millennia-old vitality of the “Ohga Lotus” and the diverse beauty of lotus blossoms, but also helps you understand the long-standing history of friendship between the people of China and Japan, two countries separated only by a narrow strip of water.