Appreciating the Lotus at the Right Time, 9:50 am on the 23rd Great Heat: Lotus Leaves and Tian Tian Season | Tian Tian | Great Heat
"Xiao Shu is not hot, Da Shu has three dog days." At 9:50 am Beijing time on July 23rd, the last solar term of summer among the 24 solar terms will usher in - Da Shu. At this time, although the temperature is high and the air is humid, it is also the time when the lotus flowers are blooming at their peak. The lush lotus leaves, graceful lotus pods, and red and white lotus flowers are pleasing to the eye.
Yuan Jin, a member of the China Folk Literature and Art Association and a director of the China Folklore Society, introduced that the Great Heat coincides with the midsummer of the Sanfu period. As the old saying goes, "There are three summers in summer, and the heat is in the midsummer.".
The scorching sun is like fire, and the scorching heat is like steam. The most vibrant and vibrant is undoubtedly the lotus flower. Lotus leaves are like a cover, clustered in clusters, layered and fluttering in the wind, covering the water surface. Between the high and low, there are lotus flowers in different postures, bright and beautiful, shining with vitality. Watching the blooming lotus flowers in front of one's eyes will make one forget the worries of summer heat and feel a hint of coolness in the heart.
Throughout history, literati and literati have also been tireless in writing lotus. From the Book of Songs, which states "there are Fusu in the mountains and lotus flowers in the valleys," to the Han Yuefu, which states "lotus can be harvested in Jiangnan, and lotus leaves can be found in fields."; From the Tang poem's "Only green lotus and red blooming flowers, rolling and blooming, allowing for innocence" to the Song poem's "painting boats propping up deep into the flowers, fragrant and golden", there are countless examples.
Yuan Jin said that the sixth month of the lunar calendar, where the Great Heat occurs, is called the "Lotus Moon". Lotus also has birthdays. Every year on the 24th of the sixth lunar month, it is a traditional festival in the Jiangnan region of China - the Lotus Observation Festival, also known as the Lotus Birthday or the Lotus Observation Festival.
Zhang Dai, a Ming Dynasty scholar, depicted the scene of young boys and girls rushing out of the city on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month to gather at the lotus pavilion outside the gate of Fengmen to watch the lotus flowers in his poem "Memories of Tao An Dreams - Fengmen Lotus Pavilion". On the ship, there are strings of silk and bamboo, light songs and graceful dances, people feasting, listening to music, admiring flowers and enjoying the cool, creating an indescribable and splendid scenery.
Yuan Jin stated that there are many lotus appreciation destinations in Jiangnan, such as Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, West Lake in Hangzhou, Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing, Guyi Garden in Shanghai, Slender West Lake in Yangzhou, East Lake in Wuhan, and so on. Of course, Lotus Rhyme is not only found in Jiangnan, but also in many beautiful places in the north, such as Yuanmingyuan in Beijing, Baiyangdian in Hebei, Daming Lake in Jinan, and so on. In fact, during the hot summer season, whenever you go to a park, you can almost always see different red lotus flowers to some extent.
The scorching lotus blossoms shine, and the pavilion emerges from the water. A solitary stem brings forth green, and the two shadows share the same red. During the hot summer season, why not invite three or five friends to find a lotus pond, admire the lotus leaves in the fields, admire the blooming lotus heads, and witness the beauty of the lotus flowers. In the refreshing fragrance of the lotus, wave goodbye to the scorching summer moon and welcome the upcoming beginning of autumn.