May lotus become national flower?
Thursday, July 01, 2010 (GMT+7)
Does Vietnam need a national flower? And if so, what should that flower be? The lotus might seem like the obvious choice but some people think otherwise.
When it comes to clothes the traditional ‘ao dai’ silk dress is the undisputed symbol of Vietnam. Now, the country is set to decide on a national flower but a debate is brewing over which one should be chosen,
The Netherlands has its trusty tulip. Japan bows to the bewitching beauty of the sakura and England loves its romantic red rose. So, what will Vietnam choose to represent the nation?
The lotus is without doubt a strong leading contender. It’s already the symbol of the national carrier Vietnam Airlines – and the airline’s frequent flyer programme is dubbed Golden Lotus Plus.
But there are plenty of other flowers which are highly symbolic of Vietnam or meaningful to its people. If you have ever enjoyed Tet holiday in Vietnam, or even witnessed the build up to the Lunar New Year holiday, you will know how fond people are of apricot blossom branches, hoa mai in Vietnamese, and peach blossom (hoa dao). Orchids (hoa lan) are also hugely popular in Vietnam. Traditionalists might also like to see areca or bamboo flowers chosen.
What’s the Criteria ?
As the debate heats up, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has stepped in with some criteria to oversee the choosing of “Vietnam’s National Flower”. There were 13 standards or details listed for the national flower in a report. Choosing national flower is clearly set to be a complicated matter.
In a nutshell everyone is agreed that the flower would honour Vietnamese culture while helping to boost the country’s profile abroad. But other details caused some controversy as they were “too difficult to understand”. Tran Khanh Chuong, an artist and chairman of Vietnam’s Fine Art Association, believes there shouldn’t be so many criteria. What was important was the “flower’s origin, its cultural significance, its place in the daily lives of Vietnamese and the arts as well as local people’s sentiment for the flower.”
Nguyen Trung Nhat, deputy head of MoCST’s Fine Art, Photography and Exhibition Department, believes that the most important aspects were that the flower should be either sourced from Vietnam or grown in Vietnam for a very long time, grown throughout the country, blossom all-year round or for most of the year, express Vietnam’s traditional culture and symbolise the manner and aspirations of Vietnamese people. Naturally, the flower should be both “beautiful” and “fragrant”.
No contest
But isn’t this pretty much stating the obvious? And such a detailed process of selection even necessary? To some the lotus flower is such a clear favourite it would seem pointless to debate the issue. The lotus is grown everywhere, it is beautiful, symbolic of Vietnam and meaningful to its people.
It’s certainly the “bookie’s favourite” but there are other contenders. An online survey indicated more than 40 per cent of 130,000 voters supported the choice of lotus as the national flower. Hoa mai shored up 33 per cent of the votes, while hoa dao managed only 8 per cent, just behind the bamboo flower on 9 per cent.
Chuong has endorsed the pink lotus, which has been popular in Vietnam since the Ly dynasty (1009-1225). The flower also has a strong political association. President Ho Chi Minh was born in a village called Kim Lien, which means lotus.
Rival connotations
So what’s holding the lotus back from being declared the outright winner? Well, the flower is a symbol of Buddhism and also Hinduism. Within both religious schools it is taught that the lotus flower is a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life.
Nevertheless, Le Van Lan, a national historian, said that he would select the lotus as Vietnam’s national flower despite its strong religious associations. He believes the lotus is reflective of Vietnamese people’s simplicity, honesty, bravery and resilience.
The lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. As it remains untouched by impurity, the lotus symbolises the purity of heart and mind.
Of course, Vietnam has a strong affinity with the water – even on land. Vietnamese farmers working on the paddy fields and fishermen who lived off the rivers and streams, were both traditionally fond of the lotus flower. Vietnamese civilisation sprung out of the Red River delta, where wet-rice cultivation along with fishing and rice planting was the mainstay of living.
It is not surprising that a beautiful water flower became a symbol of their native land to many Vietnamese. Every Vietnamese person will know the line from a famous folk poem "Trong dam gi dep bang sen”, which means “In the pond, the lotus is the most beautiful flower”
At the Royal Court under the Tran Dynasty (1225 to 1400. AD) the most important dance was the lotus dance.
The Ly dynasty (1009 – 1225) constructed whole buildings based on the motif of lotus. Built in the shape of a lotus flower, Chua Mot Cot (One Pillar Pagoda) was known as “dai hoa sen” (lotus flower platform). Today, the lotus is still frequently appearing in Vietnamese art and is considered to represent Vietnamese women by many artists.
Other Concerns
However, the lotus is not as common or as meaningful in Southern Vietnam as it is in the north. Plus, the lotus is already the official national flower of India, where it has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial. As the lotus also symbolises divine beauty, it is used as a symbol to describe the beauty of Lord Vishnu as the ‘Lotus-Eyed One’.
So should Vietnam choose another flower, something more unique? This is the main argument behind looking at other options, such as hoa dao or hoa mai. But neither of these flowers are found throughout the country.
The former is common in northern Vietnam while the latter flourishes in the south. Picking one over the other might seem to be a slight on one half of the country.
Some critics just see the whole exercise as pointless. Le Minh Ly, deputy head of the MoCST’s Heritage Department said she wasn’t sure what the national flower would bring to the community or if it would help increase the country’s role on the international stage. Other countries seem to have done just fine without having national flowers.
In the meantime the ministry will continue to consult more experts and ask for contributions and feedback from the public before choosing a national flower.
Source: Time-out