Every June, the lotus flowers bloom in ponds across many northern provinces. This period of continuous hot and sunny weather provides the perfect opportunity for Vietnam's national flower to shine with radiant beauty.

The lotus is a gymnosperm, surviving in the mud during winter and flourishing in the summer. The roots are cylindrical, growing from the lotus root with many long slender branches. The lotus stem, covered in thorns, remains underwater.

The verse "In the pond, nothing is more beautiful than the lotus/Green leaves, white flowers, and yellow pistils..." highlights the distinct qualities of this flower. The lotus is gentle and elegant, offering a respite from the summer heat. Its green and pink hues radiate pure beauty every morning, accentuated by dewdrops on the leaves.

Describing the beauty of the lotus, author Hue Huong writes: "The lotus flower is still in bud, shy like a timid girl in her mid-twenties." Once bloomed, the flowers sway gently in the wind. Their curved, thin petals are reminiscent of a ballerina in a graceful, seductive dance.

The lotus is unique in embodying noble philosophical and humanistic meanings. It represents the five elements of yin and yang and symbolizes a strong will to live, making it an endless source of inspiration for poetry and art.

Poet Tran Hoa Binh once wrote: "The lotus sleeps in the vase, you are awake in me. Sleep, strange flowers. I think of the fragrant green rice season of autumn in Hanoi, green green rice carefully wrapped in lotus leaves, warmly embraced. The scent of lotus mixed with the aroma of new rice makes people miss it forever when they are far away."

The simple and rustic lotus flower is often chosen for worship or temple offerings, especially during the full moon or monthly observances.

In the late afternoon, the sight of fragile lotus petals swaying in the wind, with shades of dark pink and pure white intertwined, evokes deep emotions. The lotus, growing from the mud yet retaining its noble and elegant beauty, symbolizes purity and resilience. It blooms peacefully, untouched by the hustle and bustle of city life.

As the lotus season arrives, flower lovers flock to the West Lake lotus pond each morning to admire and purchase these beautiful flowers. Small boats, laden with hundreds of freshly picked lotus flowers, dock at the pond, adding to the serene and picturesque scene.

Vu Minh Quan