Summer Belongs to the Lotus

2 min read

After a spring of all manner of blooms，there is perhaps nothing more spectacular in pure scale than the lotus flowers of Hangzhou.This is the flower to really see on West Lake-miles and miles of it.The history of the lotus as a source of cultivation goes back almost 5，000 years，and it’s pretty obvious why people come from around the country to see it bloom in Hangzhou’s summers.West Lake alone boasts 14 lotus cultivation areas but the most popular place is at the Broken Bridge，known for its red lotus.Also，while tourists flock to the floral majesty of Gushan Hill，locals know that there’s a better place for lotus right behind it，where lotus is cultivated for various dishes in the local cuisine.For a more up-close and personal look，there’s the Beishan Road lotus near the famous spot，Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden，where the path and markets near the water provide an elegant view-though，be warned，if you’re sitting at a cafe，there could be so many lotus blooms that you might not be able to see the water.

Osmanthus，King of Kings

Fittingly，as the year draws to a close，the floral phantasms of spring and summer dieoff-the lotus wilting and the peach and plum blossoms long gone.But osmanthus is the king of flowers in Hangzhou，or，rather，the city’s official flower.It’s hard to match the beauty of a forest covered in pink from the peach blossoms or the ma jesty of a green river turned red by lotus blooms，but what the osmanthus lacks in splendor it more than makes up for with scent.From September to early October，certain areas of Hangzhou take on a smell like no other.Of the more than 100 varieties of osmanthus trees（perhaps known more commonly as devilwood in some areas），67 can be found in Hangzhou.And while there’s certainly no shortage of places to catch a few osmanthus in the streets（or on your plate for that matter），one of the best areas for that distinctive smell is the Manjuelong Village where you will find one of the New Top Ten Scenes of West Lake:Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village-go for the hermits，stay for the osmanthus.More than 7，000 osmanthus trees（some over 200 years old）can be found in this area and there is even a West Lake Osmanthus Festival around National Day in October，when guests can eat what they’ve been smelling.