If one flower represents one season, the lotus flower, would be the one for summer. The lotus has long been seen as Hunan’s provincial flower. When taking a trip to various tourist destinations in Hunan, you will always see lotus in bloom. The flowers last from June to August, and summer is the prime time for appreciating them. Don’t miss the following places:
1.Changsha · 长沙
Hunan Provincial Botanical Garden 湖南省森林植物园
It boasts the most varied species of lotus flowers in Hunan, reaching almost 600. The best viewing place is close to the Science and Research center. There are many kinds of flowers such as roses, lotus, peonies, daisies and tulips. There are many types of blooms, single-petal, and multiple-petal. There are many colors red, yellow, white, reddish-yellow, etc. There are three petal flower and four petal flowers, etc.
Sujiatuo Lotus Base, Kaifu District, Changsha 长沙市开福区苏家托荷花基地
Sujiatuo is the lotus garden nearest to downtown Changsha. On low-lying land with rich water resources it is suitable for lotus growing. Most growers came from Huashi Town, Xiangtan County. When summer arrives, thousands of mu of lotus flowers bloom under Sujiatuo Viaduct on Changsha’s North Second Ring Road.
Kaihui Town, Changsha County 长沙县开慧镇
The First Lotus Culture Tourism Festival will be launched between July 14 and September 15 in Kaihui Town, Changsha County.
2.Zhuzhou · 株洲
Xianyu Ridge, Zhuzhou 株洲仙庾岭
Xianyu Ridge, about 10 km east of downtown Zhuzhou, has hundreds of mu (1 mu= 0.0667 ha.) lotus ponds, including a hundred mu of “space lotus”.
“Space lotus” is a type of lotus grown from seeds carried into space by Chinese astronauts in experiments and designed to increase their yield.
Xianyu Ridge was chosen as the main venue of the 2018 Zhuzhou Rural Summer Time Tourism Festival. There are four parts for the event: the opening ceremony; traversing the lotus pond - a TV challenge competition; Joyous lotus pond—rural music festival; energetic lotus pond—world cup carnival.
3.Xiangtan · 湘潭
Lotus Park at Panlong Grand Amusement Park 湘潭盘龙大观园荷花园
Covering a total area of 300 mu, the lotus park inside of Xiangtan’s Panlong Grand Amusement Park is the Only Lotus Species Treasure of China. Over 30 species have won gold prizes among lotus exhibitions.
4.Yueyang · 岳阳
Junshan Wild Lotus World, Yueyang 岳阳君山野生荷花世界
Walking through Junshan Wild Lotus World on Tuanhu Lake, you will find open water teeming with lotuses. It boasts the largest area of wild lotus in Asia, stretching to over 5,000 mu (about 333 hectares). Giving it its name --" Home to Chinese Wild Lotus" by the China Wild Plant Conservation Association in 2009. Boating and harvesting lotus seeds on the lake is a must-do for visitors.
Junshan Wild Lotus World is located at Guangxingzhou Town, Junshan District, Yueyang City.
5.Yiyang · 益阳
Luowen Village, Nanxian County, Yiyang City 益阳南县罗文村
When strolling in Luowen Village, some gorgeous walls come into sight first. The village is the first international graffiti art village in Hunan. A pavilion in the pond center provides visitors a good place to enjoy blooming lotus flowers.
6.Loudi · 娄底
Houfu Mansion, Loudi 娄底曾国藩故居
Houfu Mansion, the former residence of Zeng Guofan (Chinese statesman, general, and Confucian scholar of the late-Qing Dynasty), is the largest and best preserved official residence in south China. Its library is among the sixth group of the cultural relics coming under state protection. The lotus in a nearly 20 hectares pond in front of the mansion bloom in June, and last for two months.
7.Chenzhou · 郴州
Sandu Town,Zixing City 郴州资兴三都镇
Acres of lotus bloom in Sandu Town, Zixing City, Chenzhou. You may taste glutinous rice cake wrapped with lotus leaves, and also lotus tea; experience farm work like ploughing and stone milling; and, try to walk on stilts.
You may be deeply impressed by the well-preserved ancient dwellings, stone arch bridges, ancestral temples, and stilt buildings.
This year, for the first time, from July 27 to 29, a Migratory Bird Music Festival will be held. Tourists will have chances to enjoy Chinese and Western music styles and appreciate Picasso oil paintings in this vast land of lotus flowers.
8.Xiangxi · 湘西
Wanhe Garden, Pushui Town, Xiangxi 湘西浦市古镇万荷园
Lotus flowers in Wanhe Garden are in blossom every June and July. You may also visit the local dwellings and enjoy Chenghe Gaoqiang (an upper-octave opera) performance. The millennium town of Pushi has been promoted as a national 4A-level scenic spot.
Source from Hunan Official Web Portal