The Ancient Fragrance of the Lotus Pond

　　The Ancient Fragrance of the Lotus Pond. The former site of the Lotus-Loving Pond is located within the government compound at No. 6 Chengbei Road. In the fourth year of the JiPing era of the Song Dynasty (1067), the renowned Neo-Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi, while serving as acting prefect of Shaoyang during his appointment as Tongpan of Yongzhou, dug this pond here and planted lotuses in it. The square-shaped pond covers over ten acres in area, and its water level fluctuates along with the nearby river. The pond is enclosed by a stone wall, surrounded by weeping willows. The lotuses inside bloom in layered petals, filling the pavilion area with their subtle fragrance, yet they bear no fruit or edible rhizomes. It is said that Zhou Dunyi’s timeless essay “Ode to the Lotus” was written here, hence the name “Lotus-Loving Pond.”