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Lotus and Chinese ink paintings of the flower. [Photo/VCG; artron.net]

Lotus

Lotus flower is an important symbol of pureness in Buddhism, and also traditional Chinese culture. A Song Dynasty scholar, Zhou Dunyi, praised lotus as "unsullied from silt where it comes from, retains demure despite being cleaned by water" in his prose Ai Lian Shuo.

In ancient Chinese literature, the lotus is often connected with women's noble and pure personality. In the Chinese classic The Dream of the Red Chamber, Qing Wen, an honest and upright maid of protagonist Jia Baoyu, becomes a lotus fairy after passing away.

The flower, along with its leaves, seeds and roots have being widely used in both Chinese cuisine and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

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