Waiting for the Flower Immortal: July’s 荷 (Lotus) & the Spy Who Washed Gauze
Did you know: In traditional Chinese culture, each month of the lunar calendar had its very own 花神 (Flower Immortal)—a kind of poetic plant guardian worshipped by Chinese scholars and poets alike. Each flower is paired with a legendary woman from history or folklore, honored as that month’s 花神 (huā shén, “flower immortal”). These flower immortals were imagined as graceful spirits who embodied the beauty, character, and symbolic meaning of each bloom. It became trendy to refer “wait for the flower to blossom” as “wait for the flower immortal to arrive” in one’s home garden.
Thanks to Josie, our Curator of Horticulture, Lan Su has its own modern Twelve Flower of the Month list. While mostly based on traditional sources, Josie made a few clever updates to reflect what actually grows in our garden. (No sense in waiting for a flower that only blooms in Beijing.) Each month, we spotlight one bloom—and the legendary woman who brings it to life.
This month’s flower? 荷花 (hé hua, Latin name: Nelumbo nucifera), the lotus in our Lake Zither that’s beloved by many. And her immortal? The stunning Xi Shi 西施—one of ancient China’s famed Four Beauties and perhaps the most glamorous laundry-doer in history.
In the late Spring and Autumn period (5th century BCE), Xi Shi was just a regular girl washing gauze (浣紗) by the river (just like the lotus blooming in the water) in the State of Yue (modern-day southern Jiangsu near our sister city, Suzhou). But somehow, she made even rinsing fabric look like a slow-motion perfume commercial. So striking was the sight, fish were said to sink in shame.
Enter Fan Li, advisor to the King of Yue and Xi Shi’s future boyfriend, who thought: “She’s perfect… for espionage.” Xi Shi was sent as a “gift” to King Fuchai of Wu. Bewitched, Fuchai neglected his kingdom. In 473 BCE, the State of Wu collapsed—and Xi Shi walked away as the ultimate femme fatale. Yes, it’s a little Helen of Troy. And like the lotus, once Xi Shi bloomed (and turned a kingdom upside-down), she quietly slipped from history.
So this July, as you stroll by the blooming lotus flowers in our lake (garden tip: short blooms and flat leaves = water lily; tall stems and bold blossoms = lotus), take a moment to honor Xi Shi—graceful, clever, and proof that beauty can be revolutionary.
Venus Sun
Vice President of Culture & Community
Lan Su Chinese Garden
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