The ancient Guyi Garden is filled with the fragrance of lotus flowers

Every year, from June to July, it becomes a world of lotus. At this moment, in the ancient Guyi Garden located in Nanxiang Town, Shanghai, the lotus flowers cultivated in the garden are blooming in full splendor. In the ponds and under the green shade, the lotus fairies sway in the wind, looking exceptionally enchanting. Every summer and autumn, the Guyi Garden hosts a Lotus Festival. It is said that the garden cultivates more than 200 varieties of lotus flowers from both domestic and international sources. Various lotus flowers and water lilies bloom in succession, creating a stunningly beautiful scene. Naturally, the garden is also packed with visitors at this time. I assert that the lotus flowers in Guyi Garden, in terms of variety and scale, are among the best in Shanghai's parks. Lotus flowers belong to the genus Nelumbo in the family Nelumbonaceae. In folk tradition, lotus flowers and water lilies are often collectively referred to as lotus flowers. They have many other names, such as lotus, water hibiscus, water flower, and marsh orchid. Every summer, the lotus fairies in the pond compete to bloom, making it an excellent place for visitors to admire and photograph the lotus flowers. I sigh with admiration: "Admiring the hibiscus in Guyi Garden, the lotus fairies fill the pond with beauty. The gentle wind sways the ripples, making this the most beautiful scenery on earth." Ancient literati and poets also cherished lotus flowers, leaving behind many poems and essays. Late Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin's poem "Lotus Flower" is the best portrayal of the lotus: "No color can compare, nothing can match its fragrance. Cool mats are set up to enjoy the breeze, golden reins fall in the evening. The lamp illuminates the brocade, the water wets the silk. Imagining the farewell in the previous autumn, dreaming of the boat song in separation." Although it does not mention "lotus flower" directly, it gives the highest praise to the lotus, stating that no other flower can rival it, and its fragrance is unique.