Lotus to be Vietnam’s national symbol
Print Lotus could become the “national flower” of Vietnam as the fragrant plant has been so far voted the most favorite flower followed by apricots.
However, the final result will only be announced on January 29th .
According to an ongoing poll carried out since April last year, at the present time, 40.3 pct of respondents show their support for lotus, 33.6 pct pick apricots, 9.5 bamboos, 8.2 pct peach flower and 1.2 pct orchids, among other popular flowers.
The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism - the poll organizer - will continue to collect public opinions through the Tet’s Flowers and Drinks Festival at the Vietnam Culture and Art Exhibition Center in Hanoi lasting from 25 to 30 January.
At the festival, lotus is expected be nominated as the national flower. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy the flower through different angles: lotus in worship ceremony, in “Mot Cot” pagoda architectures, in paintings, cuisine…
During the festival, 15,000 more ballots will be handed out to visitors.
This poll has been conducted at schools, union foundations and at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
On January 29, the final vote counting will take place at the Van Ho Exhibition Center, Hanoi and be aired live on VTV1.
The flower with the most votes will become the country’s national flower.
Lotus has been a very special cultural image of the Vietnamese for generations. It is very easy to spot with huge, green and colorful ponds of lotus everywhere in rural areas. Lotus has taken deep roots in the Vietnamese minds and hearts and widely considered as the symbol of simplicity, hospitality and purity. Lotus has leaves, bud, flower, seed, stem, and root. Though growing in muddy ponds, lotus is able to purify the water. Especially, lotus is not surrounded by butterflies or bees from the moment when it blossoms till it withers. In Buddhism, lotus is a symbol of mystery, illusion, and depth. Blossomed flower symbolizes for the past, lotus cup for present, and lotus seeds for the future, continuity. In architecture of Vietnam, in Buddhism, the image of lotus is applied in housing architecture with the meaning of salvation and enlightenment. Typical architectures with lotus are the one-pillar pagoda in Ha Noi, "Cửu phẩm Liên Hoa" tower, But Thap pagoda in Bac Ninh… |
