As one of the most remarkable creations of nature, the lotus flower is a symbol of purity, beauty and majesty as well as knowledge and serenity in Chinese culture.

Zhou Dunyi, a famous scholar during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), once wrote in his work On the Love of the Lotus, "I love the lotus because, despite growing from mud, it is unstained."

Here is a visual tour of some of the blossoming lotus flowers in Beijing.

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace's lotus festival is well-renowned in Beijing. It can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Many of the Qing Dynasty emperors, including Yongzheng and Qianlong, loved the lotus. They viewed the lotus as the "gentleman" among flowers because it grows out of mud but does not get "stained." The lotus plant was also compared to honest and upright scholars and officials in ancient China.

The Summer Palace opened its 22nd lotus festival on June 26. The event will run until August 20, giving visitors a chance to view more than 200 kinds of lotus plants spread out over the more than 660,000 square meter park. A water route was specially set up to view lotus flowers in Changchun Park. Tourists can also ride a boat on the lake to get a closer look at the regal plants in bloom.

During the lotus festival, the Summer Palace will also hold a lot of art and traditional Chinese cultural events. It recently opened a Summer Palace Traditional Art Center to promote traditional Chinese art and culture to the public. Visitors can learn how to draw a lotus plant on palace-style round silk fans, palace-style floral arrangement, lotus themed embroidery and Kun Opera appreciation. The sessions are held every Saturday during the festival. The classroom's floor and walls are made of glass, and it is set on a lake, which is a great place to spend the summer.

The park has also organized a lotus photography competition. From July 1 to September 1, all park visitors can send their favorite lotus photos from the park to the competition organizer via WeChat or email.

Beihai Park

June to August is the best time to watch lotus flowers bloom in Beihai Park. More than 20,000 lotus plants from more than 100 lotus species can be seen coming into full bloom in the park this year. Besides the traditional pink and white lotus, the park also boasts many yellow, green and orange lotuses. It is also home to another more than 1,000 other water plants.

This year, Beihai Park introduced the Thailand lotus. According to a park employee, the Thailand lotus, which only grows in the tropics, can now adapt to Beijing's natural environment after years of planting. The Thailand lotus can blossom until October.

The history of growing lotus plants in Beihai Park is very long. A pond called White Lotus Lake was specially made for white lotuses during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). Lotus plants are an import part of the Beihai Park culture, and lotus and water motifs can be seen all over the park. For example, one of the flower beds in the park is shaped like a big boat, which signifiesbu xi zhou(an untied boat). The concept is from Zhuang Zhou, an influential Taoist philosopher from the Warring States (475BC-221BC). The design expresses Zhuang Zhou's wish to live and think freely like an anchorless boat.

The park also hosts many art workshops and events that feature the lotus plant, including floral arrangement, fan drawing classes, sachet making and lotus seed collection.