Classic folk tales about lotus

The noble character of the lotus, which is straight in the middle and straight outwards, neither creeping nor branching, coming out of the mud but not stained, and washing the water without being enchanting, has always been one of the themes of poetry and painting by poets and writers throughout the ages. Below are the legends and stories about lotus that I compiled. Let’s take a look.

The legendary story about lotus one: the legend of loyal love

? Surrounded by lotus and three by willows, one city is full of mountains and half is a lake? This is the best portrayal of Daming Lake. Walking along the lakeside, you will see the weeping willows and ripples of red lotus trees, and the scenery is as poetic as a painting. Seeing red lotus and green willow, people will naturally think of the beautiful legend about Liuhe.

A long time ago, there was a young man and woman by the lake who fell in love with each other. The man was named Yangliu and the woman was named Lotus. The young man is handsome and the girl is as beautiful as a flower. Willows are honest and hard-working, while lotus flowers are beautiful and intelligent. They have been playing games together since they were children. They are childhood sweethearts and childhood sweethearts. When they grew up, they fell in love with each other, and they were deeply in love. They once swore to each other by pointing to the lake water: If you are not your king, you will not marry, and if you are not your king, you will not marry. The parents of the two families also believe that they are a perfect match, and they plan to marry them on a certain date after all preparations are made, forming a happy marriage that lasts for a hundred years.

Who knows that there will be unforeseen circumstances, and there is a wicked young man from an official family by the lake. He covets the beauty of lotus flowers and has evil intentions. One day, when there was no one in Hehua's house, he led someone to steal Hehua, intending to do something wrong. Yang Liu heard the news and came to rescue him. The evil master instigated his servants to use force against Yang Liu and killed Yang Liu. He fell down by the Ming Lake with hatred. When Lotus saw this, he was heartbroken. After breaking away from the crowd, he jumped into the lake and committed suicide.

After their death, a strong willow forest grew up where the willow trees were killed by the lake; where the lotus flowers died in the lake, a gorgeous red lotus grew. The willow branches brush the water and nod towards the lotus; the red lotus stands upright and expresses its affection towards the willow branches. The people of the lake said: This is the incarnation of willow and lotus. They cannot be together while alive, but they must stay together every day after death. Legend about the lotus story 2: The legend of Yu Ji’s incarnation

According to legend, the lotus flower is a beautiful maid beside the Queen Mother? Yu Ji. When I first saw the two couples in the world, men farming and women weaving, I was very envious, so I was moved by my mortal heart. Accompanied by the daughter of the river god, I stole out of the heavenly palace and came to the West Lake in Hangzhou. The beautiful scenery of the West Lake made Yu Ji linger and play in the lake so much that she couldn't bear to leave until dawn. When the Queen Mother found out, she used the lotus throne to throw Yu Ji into the lake, and asked her to sink into the mud and never go to the south again. From then on, a beautiful maid disappeared from the heavenly palace, and a kind of jade-skinned and watery flower appeared in the human world. The legend about the lotus story 3: The legend of the birth flower

The lotus god in June is the famous beauty Xi Shi in ancient China. This year, Xi Shi's country, Yue, was defeated by Wu. The King of Yue was tired of eating and sent people to search for beautiful women everywhere, preparing to give them to the King of Wu to dissipate his fighting spirit. Xi Shi was selected from a million people, and three years later, she was trained to become an outstanding beauty. The King of Yue gave Xi Shi to the King of Wu. The King of Wu was stunned by Xi Shi's beauty. He ate, drank and had fun with Xi Shi all day long, regardless of national affairs. The Kingdom of Wu became weaker and weaker, and was finally defeated by the Kingdom of Yue. The captured King Wu regretted so much that he drew his sword and committed suicide. The king of Yue took Xishi back to the country of Yue, but the queen was very jealous of Xishi's beauty, so she took Xishi to the river, tied her to a boulder, and sank her to the bottom of the river. Ordinary people did not believe that Xi Shi would die. Legend has it that she became the God of Lotus and lived on a small island. During the Lotus Picking Festival every year, she could be seen among the girls picking lotus by the lake. The fourth story about lotus: The legend of lotus flower

The lotus stands gracefully among the lotus leaves swaying in the wind, and it looks absolutely beautiful from a distance. In our country, there are many touching legends about lotus. According to legend, there was a scholar in the Yuan Dynasty who accidentally met a beautiful girl in plain clothes. He gave the girl a jade ring as a gift. One day, a lotus bloomed by the pond. He came closer to look at it and found a jade ring in the lotus room, which he had given to the girl. Shocked, he broke the lotus and the girl disappeared. .

Legend about the lotus Story 5: The legend of the lotus fairy

Once upon a time, Baili Hong Lake was flooded and the people were in dire straits. One day, the beautiful lotus sisters drove auspicious clouds to the peach festival. Passing by, they saw people dying of hunger everywhere. He couldn't help but burst into tears and resolutely dropped the pearl necklace from his chest. At the Peach Festival, the Queen Mother discovered that the pearls on their chests were missing. After asking why, she sent the Lotus Sisters to the world to save the people. After the two fairies came down to earth, the vast Honghu Lake turned into a land of plenty where lotus flowers bloomed, and fish jumped and ducks roosted. .

? Legendary story about lotus six: Lotus repays the kindness of raising children

A long time ago, there were few people in the Junhe area. There was an old man named Zhang who made a living by fishing. I don’t have a wife, I just raised a son who is one year old. That day, the old man came to fish again. Suddenly, he saw the river water rising upwards, and soon a bamboo tube appeared, and the cry of a child came from inside.

Old man Zhang hurriedly threw down the fishing net and fished out the bamboo tube. He stopped catching fish and ran home with the bamboo tube in his arms.

He carefully opened the bamboo tube and saw a very cute baby girl inside. He picked up a son, and today he picked up a daughter, and he couldn't be happier.

From then on, the eldest sister-in-law of the East family gave me hugs, and the second aunt of the West family nursed them. Before I knew it, the two children had grown up. When they are seventeen or eighteen years old, the two brothers and sisters look so good!

Especially the younger sister, her pink face is like a lotus flower emerging from the water, and her sweet voice can sing songs that even a lark cannot compare with. she.

It turns out that this baby girl is the Lotus Fairy. Because she did something wrong, she was punished by the Jade Emperor to be reborn in the human world.

One day, the Lotus Fairy suddenly said to Old Man Zhang: Dad, I am leaving you. Brother, you have to take good care of our dad. ?The two men didn’t know why she said this. At midnight, some heavenly soldiers and generals came down to urge them, holding gleaming swords and guns in their hands. Hehua couldn't bear to disturb her father and brother, so she quietly left the house. I came to the clear pool in front of the door, washed my face and left. She thought of Old Man Zhang's kindness in raising her, and burst into tears. The tears dripped into the water, and a lotus flower grew immediately. She bit her finger, wrote a few words on the handkerchief, threw it away and left with the heavenly soldiers and generals.

At dawn, Old Man Zhang got up and could not find his daughter. This made the two men very anxious. They hurried to look outside the door and saw that the clear pond was full of lotus flowers and a handkerchief was placed by the water. After looking for someone to think about it, I realized that it was the Lotus Fairy who came down to earth to show that the kindness she had given to Old Man Zhang would be repaid in the future. If Old Man Zhang misses him, he can go to the door and look at the lotus. The propagation method of lotus

Seed seedlings

The shell must be broken first. From May to June, grind the recessed end of the seeds on the cement floor or rough stones, and soak the seeds to raise seedlings. Keep the water clear and change the water frequently. Buds will sprout in about a week and take root in two weeks before transplanting. Plant one plant in each pot. The water layer should be shallow. Do not submerge the lotus leaves in the water. It can bloom in the year around 90, but not much in that year.

Planting lotus roots in separate pots

Mid-March to mid-April is the best time to repot lotus roots. Planting too early will be affected by cold snaps, and lotus roots will be susceptible to frost damage. Transparent agricultural film can be used to cover the cold weather in northern areas. Before planting, the mud in the pot should be mixed into a paste. When planting, the top of the lotus root should be inserted into the mud at an angle of 20 degrees along the edge of the pot. The depth of the lotus bowl should be about 5 cm. Large lotus flowers are about 10 centimeters deep, with a low head and a high tail. The tail half is raised to prevent water from entering the lotus root tail. After planting, place the pot in the sun to cause micro-cracks in the soil on the surface, so that the lotus roots and soil can be completely bonded. Then add a small amount of water. After the buds grow, gradually deepen the water level, and finally maintain 3-5 cm of water. layer. In the early stage of pond planting, the water layer should be the same as that of the potted lotus, and in the later stage, the water layer should not submerge the lotus leaves.

Space breeding

In July 1994, the Guangchang County Bailian Science Research Institute cooperated with the Institute of Genetics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to put 442 Guangchang Bailian seeds on the return satellite No. 940703. , stayed in space for 355 hours and 35 minutes, and successfully returned to Earth after 238 orbits.

After screening and cultivation, multiple varieties such as Space Lotus No. 1, 2, 3, and 36 were formed. In 2002 and 2006, Guangchang Bailian went into space aboard the Shenzhou-4 spacecraft and the Shijian-8 breeding satellite. Among them, Space Lotus No. 36 can bear about 22 seeds in a single canopy, and can weigh about 100 grams in a hundred seeds. It is known as the best seed lotus variety. The cultivation of space lotus requires three levels:

1. Radiation level: Space lotus is carried by a return spacecraft to carry lotus seeds into space. In the universe, there are strong radiation, microgravity, high vacuum, In an environment with a weak geomagnetic field, most seeds will die and only a few seeds will survive. Only when the surviving seeds undergo genetic changes can they become space lotuses.

2. Screening: Since the genetic mutation of plant seeds in space is not directional, it may become better or worse. After returning to Earth, based on the breeding goals and flowering conditions, the excellent qualities such as large flowers, bright colors, beautiful shapes, and long flowering periods will be retained to produce alternative space lotuses.

3. Stability: After several years of repeated screening, excellent tissues are continuously selected from each generation of lotus flowers for cultivation, genetically unstable strains are eliminated, and finally lotus flowers with excellent genes and stable genetics are Only when it is retained can it be determined as a new variety. Lotus cultivation technology

Water quality

Lotus is an aquatic plant and cannot live without water during its growth period. In the early stage of growth, the water layer should be controlled at about three centimeters. Too deep water is not conducive to increasing the soil temperature. If you use tap water, it is best to store it in another tank and let it dry for a day or two before using it again. Summer is the peak growth period of lotus, so there must be no shortage of water in the pot. After winter, the pot soil should also be kept moist to prevent the lotus roots from drying out due to lack of water.

Fertilization

The fertilizer for lotus is mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, supplemented by nitrogen fertilizer. If the soil is fertile, there is no need to fertilize throughout the year. Decomposed cake fertilizer and chicken, duck and goose manure are the most ideal fertilizers. Apply half a tael in a small pot, and only 1-2 taels at most in a large pot. Do not apply more, and mix it thoroughly with the soil. During the peak growth period, if the leaves are found to be yellow and thin, you can mix 0.5 grams of urea per box into the mud, roll them into small balls of about 10 grams, apply one to each pot, and apply it to the soil in the center of the pot for 7 days. Effective.

Overwintering

After winter, just put the pot indoors or bury it under the frozen soil. In areas north of the Yellow River, in addition to burying under the frozen soil, it also needs to be covered with agricultural film. , keep the pot soil moist throughout the winter. The main value of lotus

Edible

In ancient China, there was a tradition among Chinese people to fold plum blossoms in spring and send them to distant places, and to pick lotus flowers in autumn to cherish others. The Chinese people have regarded lotus seeds as a precious food since ancient times. Today they are still a high-grade nourishing and nutritious food, and many places specialize in the production of lotus seeds. Lotus root is the best vegetable and candied fruit. Lotus leaves, lotus flowers, lotus stamens, etc. are also favorite medicinal foods of the Chinese people. It can be seen that the lotus food culture is rich and colorful. Traditional lotus seed porridge, lotus leaf preserved meat, lotus seed powder, lotus root slices with meat, lotus leaf steamed pork, lotus leaf porridge, etc. The leaves are used as a substitute for tea and as packaging material.

The underground stems of the lotus grow in the mud and will be infected by toxic substances. Because the particularly fine epidermal tissue of the lotus root and the tannin-containing hypodermis have a certain ability to block or absorb toxic substances, Therefore, toxic substances mostly adhere to the epidermis or penetrate into the epidermis. When eating lotus roots, peel off the skin to prevent poisonous substances from being taken into the stomach.

Medicinal purposes

"Compendium of Materia Medica" records that lotus, lotus seeds, lotus clothes, lotus chambers, lotus whiskers, lotus seed hearts, lotus leaves, lotus stems, lotus joints, etc. can be used. Medicinal. Lotus can promote blood circulation and stop bleeding, remove dampness and eliminate wind, clear the heart and cool the blood, relieve heat and detoxify. Lotus seeds can nourish the heart, kidneys, spleen and intestines. Lotus root can clear the heart, nourish the kidneys, astringent essence, stop bleeding, relieve heat and troubles, produce body fluids and quench thirst. Lotus leaf can clear away heat and dampness, promote yang and stop bleeding, and help lose weight. The ingredients of lotus leaf are miraculous in cleaning the intestines and stomach, reducing fat and removing blood stasis. Lotus root can stop bleeding, disperse blood stasis, and relieve heat and toxins. Lotus root can clear away heat and relieve summer heat, ventilate the air and move water, purge fire and clear the heart.

These traditional Chinese medicines come from the same plant, but different parts have different functions: lotus root joints stop bleeding and disperse blood stasis; lotus leaves clear away heat and dampness, promote clearing yang and stop bleeding; lotus stems clear away heat and relieve heat. , ventilation and heat-removing; lotus leaf base clears heat, removes dampness, harmonizes blood and stabilizes pregnancy; lotus activates blood circulation and stops bleeding, removes dampness and eliminates wind; lotus chamber removes blood stasis, stops bleeding, and removes dampness; lotus root clears the heart, nourishes the kidneys, astringes essence, and stops bleeding; lotus seeds Hunan's "Xianglianzi" is the most famous for nourishing the heart, nourishing the kidneys, tonifying the spleen, and astringent the intestines. The lotus seeds can astringe the blood, and the ginseng can nourish spleen yin. The lotus seeds clear the heart, remove heat, stop bleeding, and astringent essence. Since there are many varieties of lotus, different parts of different varieties may have slightly different medicinal effects.

Appreciation

Lotus Waterscape

There are three types of lotus special gardens in China: one is like the garden botanical garden in Moshan, East Lake, Wuhan. A large-scale aquatic flower area is opened for viewing and studying lotus; the second is large-scale parks such as Nanjing Mochou Lake and Hangzhou Xinquyuan Fenghe, which are mainly for lotus appreciation; and the third is for wild interest. Mainly, tourism is combined with the production of lotus folk tourism resource scenic spots, such as the Lotus World in Sanshui, Guangdong, and Tuanhu Scenic Area in Yueyang, Hunan.

As a theme waterscape plant in landscape gardens: As the saying goes, "A garden will not be strong without mountains, and it will not be beautiful without mountains and water." It is extremely common to use lotus to decorate waterscapes in Chinese gardens. The famous gardens in the south of the Yangtze River often have buildings for enjoying the lotus scenery. The Slender West Lake in Yangzhou has a "Lotus Bridge" on the embankment. The jade pavilions on the bridge are scattered high and low. The shape is simple and elegant, exquisite and unique, and it complements the lotus in the lake. It is an interesting place. The most scenic spot in Slender West Lake is the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion in Yueyang Golden E Park, which is built near the water and connected to the curved railing. Cattails are used to scent the wind and you can enjoy lotuses in the rain. It is deeply loved by the public.

Make summer flowers that can be enjoyed in all four seasons: The different landscapes of the four seasons are the rules of gardening that Chinese gardeners abide by. For example, plum blossoms can withstand winter, willow silk welcomes spring, green lotus spends summer, and tung leaves are frightening. Autumn. The green viewing period of lotus flowers lasts for 8 months, and the group flowering period is about 2-3 months. In summer and autumn, there are no people around, cicadas chirp, peaches and plums are silent, and lotuses exude a refreshing fragrance in a puddle of blue water, making people relaxed and happy.

Make the foreground, middle ground, and main scenery in a multi-level arrangement: Chinese gardens pay great attention to the changes in levels when arranging plants to form rich landscapes of different distances and heights. Planting willows and lotus together is a typical technique. In "Lao Can's Travels", Liu E once used the words "Four sides of lotus and three sides of willows, one city with mountains and half with lakes" to summarize Jinan's Daming Lake. Yuhu Park in Xiangtan, Hunan Province has catkins flying in the spring and little lotuses showing their tips; in summer and autumn, the flowers and leaves are paved and the willow silk is green; in the winter, the willow silk will blow the snow and the remaining lotus leaves can be heard, making it a beautiful scenic spot.

As a "filter" for waters polluted by industrial wastewater: Because the underground stems of lotus root can absorb the products of aerobic microorganisms in the water that decompose pollutants, lotus can help restore the food chain structure of polluted waters and promote the aquatic ecosystem. Gradually realize a virtuous cycle.

Potted bonsai

Lotus has a strong adaptability to the growth environment. It can not only grow red and green in lakes and ponds of all sizes, but also grow in small pots and bowls. Graceful and charming, decorating the world. In the history of Chinese lotus culture, potted lotuses were only used for viewing in private courtyards when they first appeared. Nowadays, potted lotus is widely used in gardens all over China. The arrangement technique of combining potted plants and pond plants improves the ornamental value of potted lotus and often appears in garden waterscapes and garden sketches. Lotus water stone bonsai is a new bonsai that appeared in Hangzhou. It is an organic combination of lotus bonsai and water-stone bonsai, which not only embodies the firmness and uprightness of mountains and rocks, but also shows the beauty and charm of lotus. Lotus bonsai can use rocks such as coral stone, sandstone, ax stone, and British stone as materials.

The art of flower arrangement

Flower arrangement began in the Six Dynasties in China and originated from offering flowers in front of the Buddha. As the holy flower of Buddhism, it can be said that the lotus formed an indissoluble bond with the flower arrangement when it first emerged. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, offering flowers was still the main form of flower arrangement. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the art of flower arrangement had made great progress. At this time, lotus flower arrangement had risen to a new level in both artistic depth and skill. It can be called the heyday of flower arrangement art in ancient China.

As people have conducted more in-depth research on lotus flower arrangements, not only are materials such as lotus flowers, lotus leaves, lotus roots and lotus seeds increasingly used in flower arrangements, but the ornamental effects of these materials have also been scientifically compared. It is generally appropriate to use small and medium-sized varieties for lotus flower arrangements. At the same time, it should also be appropriately matched with branches, leaves and fruits of other plants. The color should be bright and the composition should be bright. The appreciation effect can last for 3-4 days.