CULTURE: The Lotus - Simply a flower?

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花

In midsummer, Beijing parks and river banks entice us with the delicate perfume of the water lily or lotus (liánhuā 莲花 in Chinese), "the buds of which still keep the fragrance of the goddess of the Luo River", as we read in the poem 'Lotus' by Wen Tingyun, a great lyricist of the Tang Dynasty. Read on to find out all about the meaning of the lotus in ancient China!

Nymph of the Luo River by Gu Kaizhi. Southern Song copy. Liaoning Provincial Museum.

Wen's poem refers to the famous scroll by Gu Kaizhi 'Nymph of the Luo River' or the poem it illustrates, 'Rhapsody on the Divinity of the Luo' by Cao Zhi (192 – 232 AD), a prince of Cao Wei (220–266 AD). The poem describes the prince's imaginary encounter with the goddess, who is "glistering like the lotus flower emerging from vitreous waves".

However attractive the flower may be, the Song philosopher Zhou Dunyi warns us "lotus is something to be appreciated from a distance and not to be profaned by intimate approach". The lotus was the favorite flower of this cosmologist and philosopher who praised it for its purity and integrity. 

Path with lotus designs at the Shaolin Temple, Henan Province.

These qualities of the lotus are often associated with Buddhism. The flower that comes from the mud but never touches it, alludes to Buddha, his detachment from worldly things, self-control and vigilance, indifference to veneration and honor. The journey from the murky water to the fragrant blossoms expresses the idea of spiritual enlightenment. In this interpretation, the lotus is found in many Buddhist temples and tombs such as the cave temples in Dunhuang, Gansu province, begun during the Six Dynasties (220–589AD). In these ritual places the flower is depicted on painted or carved canopies, attached to the ceilings. They symbolize light emanating from the liberated mind and were part of a spiritually stimulating environment created with music, candle light, fragrant incense and shimmering gold and silver ornaments.

Although commonly associated with Buddhism, the lotus was considered an auspicious symbol with many connotations as early as the Eastern Han period (25–220 AD). For instance, its circular form and bright white color made people compare it to the light of the sun and the moon.

We find more auspicious interpretations in art during the reign of Emperor Huizong (1082 –1135). The emperor saw auspicious symbols as instrumental in obtaining Heaven's blessings. The pearl lotus together with golden tangerines, red crows and other extraordinary creatures and objects were 'discovered' to justify Heaven's support of the emperor's governance. To put aside any doubts, the discoveries were recorded pictorially in the Album of Auspicious Events.

Textile fragment from 11th-12th century showing lotus flowers and seed pods. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Huizong not only painstakingly documented Heaven's blessings but also did everything possible to make them happen. This is where he used paintings of auspicious symbols, including representations of lotus pods with many seeds symbolizing plentiful offspring and the mandarin duck with lotus motif which expresses aspirations for a happy relationship. 

In the painting 'White Lotus' by Qian Xuan (1235-1305) the lotus takes on a more personal symbolism. The scroll depicts several flowers and leaves and is inscribed with a poem. The work expresses the artist's mourning for the fallen Song Dynasty and is connected to a collection of poems 'New Subjects for Ballads' written by a group of literati in response to the looting of the Song imperial tombs. In the poem by Qian Xuan and those of the literati, the lotus alludes to empresses and consorts, "whose bones were strewn in the woods", an imaginary meeting between Emperor Xuanzong and the spirit of his courtesan Yang Guifei and in general the role of women in state affairs.

Lotus, painter unknown. Ming dynasty. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Scattered bones of the Song empresses, fragrant as the goddess of the Luo River, bright as the sun and the moon... the lotus was not simply a beautiful flower in ancient China!

For references please see the article on our website by clicking 'read more' below.

Did you know the symbolism of this beautiful flower before? What does the lotus symbolise in your culture? Let us know in the comments section on our website (click the read more button below), or on our social media pages on Facebook (@CulturalKeysChina) or Instagram (@CulturalKeys). We always love hearing from you!

Author Bio

Ms. Ilina Tatiana is an art lover and culture hunter.

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- Cultural Keys unless otherwise specified

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