A Feast of Lotuses

Reputed as “City of Lotus”， Guigang attracts numerous famous wordsmiths with its fascinating and breathtaking beauty. Every summer， the air around the East Lake is filled with a pleasant aroma of lotuses， the city flower of Guigang.

The noble lotuses， the vast lake， the famous statues， and the mysterious legends have made Guigang a popular site throughout the decades. Please come and share your days with its true virtue and beauty.

A bright pearl of Guigang

Whichever season you are in， East Lake is always like a magician， inventing vibrant colors for its guests.

From March to May， Guigang will enter its most dynamic season -- spring， when the wind is warm and the water is clear. Also， willow leaves and magnolia flowers around East Lake are the footprints of spring. This season is most suitable for wandering on the lake bank to appreciate the budding lotuses.

From June to August， it is the summer of Guigang. Though the sun is hot， the lotus flowers are also in full bloom. It is also a very busy touristic season， when hundreds of thousands of visitors come for the lotus flowers.

Then it turns to autumn from September to November， when visitors can appreciate the Mid-Autumn moon on a lake boat in the evening. In winter， the dying lotuses are also a splendid sight of the East Lake， which is another starting point of life’s journey.

Impression of lotuses

Praised as a gentle flower， lotus is a recurring theme in many Chinese poems and paintings. Untouched by any impurities， lotus symbolizes the purity of heart and mind， and represents a long life， humility， honor and tranquility. Also， it is a symbol of holiness in Buddhism.

From diverse aesthetic perspectives， numerous artists have depicted the lotus flower's personality. In Chinese poetry， the lotus is often used to describe a noble character， or a girl’s beautiful face. A short essay “On the Love of Lotus” （Ailianshuo） written by the famous philosopher and poet Zhou Dunyi in the Song Dynasty （970-1279） has compared the character of chrysanthemum and peony with lotus and highly praised the plant’s truth and sanctity.

Summer is a good season to enjoy lotus around China. At this very moment， lotuses at the East Lake are in full bloom， with faint scent. Standing by the lake， one can clearly see the surrounding scenery which is just like a long scroll of painting. The bottle green surfaces of the leaves are covered with waxy white powder， while the pink blossoms attract visitors with their delicate beauty， which grows at the top of footstalk， and stands high above the surface of water.

Also， East Lake offers visitors far more than flowers. There is an exhibition for lotus every year in June， which features a variety of activities， such as a lotus-themed photo competition， a cultural exhibition， as well as a performance.