An Examination of the Process of the Elegant and Popularized Aspects in Chinese Lotus Culture

This study examines the linguistic changes that occurred as the lotus transitioned from a Buddhist symbol to everyday life, how it was folklorized and narrated as it entered popular culture, and how it was embraced by scholar-officials in their activities.The name for the lotus in China originally began as ‘荷’ but during the introduction of Buddhism, it shifted to ‘蓮’ After the Song dynasty, the name ‘荷’ was revived with the development of the ‘荷花圖’ genre within bird-and-flower painting (花鳥畵). By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the lotus had come to symbolize desires such as wealth accumulation, social status elevation, integrity, love and harmony, and the birth of children, often through phonetic wordplay.Additionally, the lotus became a theme in folk tales, blending phonetic associations with Buddhism’s spirit of inclusiveness, thereby reflecting popular hopes and dreams. The lotus came to express the hope for reunions after separations and the desire for fertility through the harmony of yin and yang.From the Song dynasty, the lotus was appreciated within the culture of refined enjoyment (淸賞), and by the Ming dynasty, gatherings (雅集) that involved appreciating the lotus indoors, such as placing it in vases for viewing, became popular beyond just enjoying it by ponds. These gatherings, where participants appreciated the lotus, composed poetry, and painted, were a significant cultural activity among scholar-officials.Thus, it is evident that from the Tang and Song dynasties onward, the lotus evolved from a Buddhist symbol to an object expressing everyday beauty.