{"id":2788,"date":"2016-06-29T09:08:26","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T08:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2788"},"modified":"2016-08-19T16:33:36","modified_gmt":"2016-08-19T15:33:36","slug":"vietnams-national-flower-the-lotus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/vietnam\/vietnams-national-flower-the-lotus\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnam\u2019s National Flower: Exploring the Symbolism of the Lotus"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no flower that is quite as exquisite and unique as the lotus.<\/p>\n

The plant is highly regarded in Southeast Asia, but for Vietnamese people there is no other plant like the lotus that signifies purity, serenity, commitment and optimism for the future. For these reasons, alongside various others, is why the lotus has been named as Vietnam\u2019s national flower. Here we explore the symbolism of the lotus and what it means to those in Vietnam.<\/p>\n

Vietnam\u2019s affinity with the lotus flower<\/h2>\n

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There has been a longstanding love for the lotus flower when it comes to Vietnam, its people and culture with the plant being cited in many traditional folk songs and poems. Commenting on the affinity that the Vietnamese have with the lotus flower, Thom Nguyen from Travel Tips Vietnam<\/a> explains:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lotus is a special flower as it grows and lives in mud but it still passes out of the water to catch the sun without being polluted by the surrounding mud.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, it is the most representative symbol for culture and humanistic manners of the Vietnamese, represents strength and the rise of a strong will to live as ethnic Vietnamese.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although the flower grows in the mud beneath the pond water, it manages to create a floral scent and eye-catching colour. As for this, the flower symbolises the divine beauty that can come from impurity and dark spaces, as well as representing the growth and prosperity of the Vietnamese people that has occurred over the past 5,000 years.<\/p>\n

Overtime the plant has also found its way into Vietnamese cuisine, with many chefs and cooks incorporating the whole and parts of the flower into salads and speciality teas. One of the main criteria that the Vietnamese sought after when choosing the national flower was that it \u201cmust be found in many localities\u201d, something that Vietnam is very proud of when it comes to the expanse of the lotus flower!<\/p>\n

Religious Symbolism<\/h2>\n

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Buddhism makes up 12.2% of Vietnam\u2019s religious culture and also uses the lotus as its main symbol, connoting purity of the body, speech and mind. It is also symbolic of detachment as water droplets easily slide off the flowers petals. Just like the symbolic references of the beauty grown from muddy waters, those who practice Buddhism also follow this meaning.<\/p>\n

The colour of the flower also has a huge importance in Buddhism, with different shades representing alternative meanings to the flower:<\/p>\n