What are the appreciation methods for pure orchids (su pin)?

The beautiful "pure heart" among Chinese orchids is like a watery maiden of Jiangnan, a lilac-like girl: elegant, dignified, simple, clear, and ethereal, haunting the soul and stirring the heart a hundred times over. Whether you gaze at her intently or glance back unwittingly, she (it) is always there, never leaving, never abandoning, neither arrogant nor impatient, neither angry nor fiery, quietly standing there, untouched by a trace of dust, mirroring the clarity within your heart, bringing warmth, calming the mind, and elevating one beyond the mundane.

I. About Su (Pure) and Su Xin (Pure Heart)

In traditional usage, there is the su stele, referring to a stone tablet with no inscription; the su crown, referring to a plain, unadorned cap; the su room, referring to a plain room without ornate decoration; the su qin, referring to an undecorated qin; the su ji, referring to a small table without carved decoration; and the su face, referring to a face without makeup. As a color, su refers to white: "clothing favors plain and dark" (Ban Gu, "Eastern Metropolis Rhapsody"); "fair and fair, the rosy-powdered makeup, slender and slender, the plain white hand emerges" ("Nineteen Old Poems"); "what need of a plain carriage and white horses, to escort her out to the ancient paths and barren fields" (Yuan dynasty, Guan Hanqing, "The Injustice to Dou E"), and so on.

Su is synonymous with simplicity, purity, and white.

In ancient times there was the "Huangdi Neijing Suwen" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, Basic Questions). Su means root; wen means the Yellow Emperor asking Qi Bo. Su is the root. A tree has roots, and a person has roots. The "Daodejing" says: All things flourish, each returning to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness, and stillness is called returning to destiny. Daoist thought comprehends the root of humanity and the Dao of humanity, nature, and the universe from within "stillness."

The "Laozi" says: "Display the plain, embrace the uncarved." Su originally referred to undyed raw silk; here it metaphorically represents pure and noble character.

In Tao Yuanming's "Returning to the Fields and Gardens": "I hear there are many people of pure heart, and I delight in spending mornings and evenings with them." Su xin refers to a pure and simple inner heart and sentiment.

In the Qing dynasty, Ji Xiaolan's "Notes from the Yuewei Hermitage" says: "When the heart is like a dried-up well, no waves arise; wealth and honor are not seen, hunger and cold are not known, gain and loss are not calculated. This is what is meant by a person of pure heart."

From this we can see that in the minds of the great Confucian sages of antiquity, "su xin" (pure heart) was a transcendent, otherworldly state of Zen and Dao, of purity and non-action.

 What is called su in Chinese orchids usually refers to flowers with green petals and a white lip. Set off by the graceful orchid leaves, they are light, pure, and unadorned, possessing a most elegant and unworldly temperament that gives rise to rich imagery and associations. Looking through ancient orchid records and texts, orchid enthusiasts and refined scholars have always esteemed the pure heart: 

In the Qing dynasty, Zhu Kerou, in his "First Fragrance Notes," discussing flower grades, said: "For orchid grades: narcissus su first, lotus su second, plum-petal su third, narcissus petal fourth, green plum petal fifth, red plum petal sixth, rounded-petal su seventh, exceptional-petal su eighth. All eight of the above grades must have level shoulders to be considered superior. For cymbidium grades: white lotus, narcissus, plum petal, green lotus, rounded-petal su, exceptional su, red-shell lotus, broad exceptional, rounded petal, willow-leaf su, willow-leaf narcissus (those with short column and hooded form), narrow exceptional, thread-line su insect," and so on.

In "A Brief History of Orchids and Cymbidiums," discussing flower grades, it says: "Superior grade: lotus-form narcissus su, plum su, lotus su, plum petal, narcissus petal, lotus petal; Secondary grade: exceptional-petal su, butterfly su; Inferior grade: wrinkled-corner plum, wrinkled-corner narcissus, pure heart, exceptional petal, butterfly."

Perhaps it is precisely the beauty and connotation of the Chinese orchid's pure heart, and the purest, emptiest, and truest artistic conception of the Chinese orchid's pure heart, that resonated with their pursuit of nature, simplicity, transcendence, and ethereality.

For those who feel tense and oppressed by modern social life, how could they not be filled with a longing for calm and nature? In the more than 10 years after 2000, strange flowers, especially various butterfly flowers and variegated flowers, dazzled and confused the eyes. The return to the beauty of tranquility and simplicity accords with the human nature of returning to authenticity. The status of pure Chinese orchid flowers in the minds of today's orchid enthusiasts is increasingly important, and this is inevitable. The process of pursuing the orchid's pure heart carries the broad community of orchid growers' affinity for pure beauty, their wish for a simple and clean life, and their quest for the "pure heart" personality.

II. The Definition of Chinese Orchid Pure Heart (Pure Flower)

What is usually meant by pure heart (pure flower) is a flower that is entirely pure and elegantly refined, without gaudy colors, where the lip and outer petals should be pure white, yellow, or green.

Wu Enyuan, author of "A Brief History of Orchids and Cymbidiums," divided pure heart into three categories and five types: the first category is pure su, including green-moss su, white-moss su, and yellow-moss su; the second category is peach-cheek su, referring to a white tongue with red-purple coloring on the cheeks (note: some also separate out reflective-cheek su from peach-cheek su, referring to a white tongue with pale red coloring on the cheeks); the third category is burred su, referring to a tongue with faint pale red coloring (on close inspection, faint floating pale red fine dots, mostly in cymbidiums). In addition, he also mentioned "sand su," referring to a lip that is entirely red (what is now popularly called "red su"), saying it was extremely rare.

Whether "sand su" or "red su" can be called "su" is debatable. From the original meaning of "su," once it is red it is no longer su; su has nothing to do with gaudy colors. It seems more appropriate to call such flowers "red lip," "cinnabar lip," "red tongue," and the like; with their rich, vivid colors and strong contrast, they belong in the colored-flower category.

Of course, besides these, we commonly see hemp-shell su (red-shell su), water-stain su, bright-mouth su, and others. Hemp-shell su (red-shell su) refers to bracts that are not the pure colors of yellow, white, or green, but have veins or sand-like halos of other colors, while the flower opens with a pure tongue, such as the old spring orchid varieties Snow Lotus Su and Jade Plum Su. Actually, if the outer petals are in the light color range of orange or pink with a white tongue, we generally also classify them as hemp-shell su, and such bracts are also often colored; water-stain su refers to a tongue on which red spots have not completely faded, with faint traces visible on close inspection; such flowers are often of lower grade because the lip feels impure; bright-mouth su generally refers to a lip with red coloring on the front edge or a pale red halo on the tongue surface. Those whose lip is pure white in the front half but has red dots on the rear half, at the base of the tongue, or on the back of the tongue base are generally not classified as pure heart, commonly called "white tongue," such as Wang Zi, Song Mei, and He Shen, which often produce white-tongue flowers. There are also those with gaudy and mixed outer petal colors but a pure lip, also called white tongue, such as red flower white tongue and the like.

In summary, since it is a pure heart, the overall flower color should be light and elegantly refined, especially the lip, which must not show obvious red spots or red patches; a clean lip is considered superior.

III. How to Appreciate the Pure Heart

Among the standard-form Chinese orchid flowers - lotus, plum, narcissus, and su - if the lotus petal is the magnanimous and imposing king, the plum petal is the elegant and self-restrained gentleman, and the narcissus petal is the graceful and freely romantic scholar, then the pure heart (pure flower) is the elegant and unworldly talented woman, sometimes possessing a heroic spirit that rivals men, sometimes displaying ten thousand charms of tender feeling. Whether in the rigor of standard-form flowers or the profusion of strange-flower types, it always stands out with its clear and refined, unworldly temperament. Zhu Kerou in "First Fragrance Notes" said "narcissus su first, lotus su second, plum-petal su third," and Wu Enyuan in "A Brief History of Orchids and Cymbidiums" ranked lotus-form narcissus su first, followed by plum su and lotus su, consistently placing petal-type flowers after pure heart. Without debating whether such rankings are reasonable, they at least show the important status of "typed" pure hearts in the minds of earlier orchid enthusiasts; even ordinary pure hearts are all classified in the fine-flower category.

1. Elements of Comprehensive Appreciation

The aesthetics of the pure heart, like other categories, has as its primary conditions: correct form, clear color, thick (glutinous) texture, and subtle fragrance. These rules of Chinese orchid aesthetics are consistent with highlighting the clear, refined, and unworldly qualities of pure flowers.

In terms of flower form, first of all each petal should be properly shaped, not twisted, not deformed, and not drooping heavily at the shoulders; this is the minimum condition for correct form. If the shoulders can be level or flying, it appears even more spirited. On this basis, for standard-form flowers, if the column can remain closed, then the center is properly held, creating a rhythm of contraction and release with the outer petals, and the flower grade rises another level; if each petal can be short and round, with essence concentrated inward, it displays even more spirit, which is rare and precious among pure hearts, called: superior-grade flower; for strange-flower-type pure hearts, they should first conform to the aesthetic qualities of each category, such as stamen butterflies, which should have a high degree of lip transformation; such as peonies and strange butterflies, which should be neatly arranged with clear structure, and so on (see my humble article "On Spirit and Charm"). On this basis, adding the element of pure heart makes the flower appear rare and elegant.

The requirements of pure heart regarding form seem slightly different from other standard-form flowers. The Chinese orchid petal-type aesthetic regarding form emphasizes outer softness and inner firmness; lotus, plum, and narcissus all stress shortness and roundness, and stress hooding and embracing. From the external line of sight, these are all curvilinear aesthetics, with what seems a large proportion of yin softness, the so-called charm. The expression of yang firmness through straight lines is found only in the few requirements such as level shoulders and tall stems; it merely requires a sturdy, upright inner skeletal structure to express spirit. The external is mostly curvilinear, and this forms the foundation of petal-type aesthetics. However, in the appreciation of pure heart flowers, we seem to have relatively low requirements for external roundness. First, because such short, round, tightly edged, hooded pure flowers are too rare; second, because the simple, refined, and clear temperament of pure flowers can be expressed even without much roundness, provided the flower looks spirited. To express spirit, it is enough for the form to be neat and the shoulders relatively level, and such a visual effect can be achieved. In addition, the shape of the pure heart's lip is also a major point of appreciation. As the visual center and main subject, if the pure heart's lip is large, short, and round, and can hang down without curling, then it is as clear and bright as the bright moon; if it has good columns to match the outer three petals, its temperament is extraordinary.

In brief, regarding form, those with correct form, level shoulders, tight columns, and that meet the requirements of shortness and roundness are often relatively high-grade pure hearts.

Regarding the color of Chinese orchids, "clarity" accords with the essential nature of Chinese orchids; only when clear does it appear refined. And the pure heart is even more so the clear and refined among Chinese orchids, making clear color all the more important. Within the pure su range, the colors are mainly white, green, and yellow; other colors include pink in peach-cheek su (with hidden coloring at the tongue base sometimes appearing as vivid red-purple, normally invisible, which we shall not discuss here), and pink tones sometimes appearing on the outer petals of hemp-shell su, but only those with light color, high purity, and high brightness are superior. If gaudy or muddy colors appear, there is no way to display clear charm.

Spring orchid pure heart, with white lip and green petals, is light, elegant, pure, and free of muddy color. Whether emerald green, yellow-green, or light green, due to the pairing with the white lip, it appears both contrasting and harmonious, all suitable. Spring orchids with yellow-moss pure heart give a feeling of clear color, and their grade is often not high. The outer petal color of spring orchid pure heart, in the cooler emerald green range paired with a white lip, has a cold, proud, unworldly, immortal-like charm, and seems to be of higher grade; the yellow-green range together with white gives a relatively warm feeling; the light green outer petal range gives a light and elegant feeling. Regardless of the outer petal color tendency, ultimately only pure color is superior; muddy ones are inferior.

Cymbidium pure heart, compared with spring orchid, four-season orchid, lotus-petal orchid, and other varieties, lacks high-brightness white; the lip is either green-moss or yellow-moss. Therefore, besides high color purity, brightness also appears more important. Unlike spring orchid, cymbidium yellow-moss, yellow-petal pure heart appears brighter and fresher against the leaf color than green-flower su, and flowers with a white border appear very rare and precious; some hemp-shell su with bright flesh-colored or orange outer petals also appear extremely warm and moving, and if they have good form and texture, they are very high-grade flowers.

In varieties such as four-season orchid, lotus-petal orchid, and spring sword, among pure hearts there often appear "white su" with outer petals approaching white (normal open flowers mostly being white ground with pink-green veins), giving a spotless, pure aesthetic and an elegant artistic conception. If the form is correct and the texture thick and glutinous, the grade is extremely high, and this is extremely rare among orchids and cymbidiums.

As for texture, thick and glutinous without veins is the ideal state, something to be encountered but not sought; especially for pure heart, those reaching thick and glutinous are very few, and those without veins are even rarer. Even among famous cymbidium and orchid pure heart varieties, those with thick, glutinous texture and few veins are extremely few. Cangyan Su and Zhang He Su have thick, glutinous petal texture but obvious veins (Cangyan Su in recent years has shown signs of fewer and more hidden veins in some flowers, which seems to be a benign evolution). On the other hand, Old Yuepei, Old Wentuan, Yang Shi Su, Kui He Su, Tiantong Su, and others appear thick and glutinous with hidden veins. Although Zhizu Mei Su has a first-class form, its texture is not as thick and glutinous as the former, which is its greatest shortcoming. Among newly discovered spring orchid varieties, those with good texture are even fewer, often covered with snakeskin patterns, like a beauty's face covered with freckles and wrinkles, very unpleasant on close inspection. Cymbidium and four-season orchid textures often seem better than spring orchid, while lotus-petal orchid and spring sword are inferior.

The pure heart is inherently a flower that rewards close appreciation. If the texture is thick and glutinous and moist, it appears pure as ice and jade, clear and refined beyond the dust, full of charm; conversely, if the texture is thin and soft, it is powerless and spiritless, and if the veins are coarse and prominent, it is cumbersome and tangled, greatly weakening the simple and refined temperament. Moreover, thin and soft petal texture often affects the flower's staying power, greatly affecting the spirit and charm of the pure heart.

Orchid fragrance should be subtle, as if present and absent, as if near and far, like the sounds of nature, like lyric poetry, most full of endless charm. The pure heart especially requires subtle fragrance; if the fragrance is strong, it is like a light and elegant woman wearing heavy makeup, very incongruous; if there is no fragrance, it lacks a kind of connotation, a kind of thought, and a kind of imagination. Subtle fragrance is the unintentional revelation of the pure heart's low-key and reserved temperament, the gentle display of its bashful true nature, and the invisible extension of its clear and refined qualities. Subtle fragrance is the soul of the Chinese orchid, and even more so the "su" heart and spirit of the pure flower.

In the aesthetics of pure flowers, thick (glutinous) texture and subtle fragrance are the most fundamental elements that should be present, while form and color are ever-changing. But amid ten thousand changes, the principle remains the same: it should be based on highlighting the clear, refined, and unworldly temperament of the pure flower, achieving harmony and unity and conforming to the way of spirit and charm, in order to become a superior-grade flower. As for whether narcissus su is first or lotus-petal su is first, without actual flowers to compare, it seems meaningless. Generally speaking, a "typed" pure heart has greater aesthetic value than an ordinary bamboo-leaf-petal pure heart. Because petal "type" itself is a summary of the laws of beauty, and "type" is itself the external expression of spirit and charm. Most bamboo-leaf-petal pure hearts, because the outer petals are narrow and long, with monotonous lines lacking undulation and variation, appear loose in overall form, with release but no contraction, and their spirit and charm are inferior to "typed" pure hearts.

2. Classification and Individual Appreciation

However, just as in the appreciation of cold orchids, some so-called plum-petal and narcissus expressions cannot embody the ethereal spirit of cold orchids, and are instead inferior to some flowers without "type." This phenomenon also appears in pure flowers: some hard-columned or insufficiently neat outer-petaled plum su and narcissus su are actually inferior in spirit and charm to some ordinary pure hearts with correct form and clear color. The aesthetic qualities of the pure heart seem to reject overly complex and overly cumbersome elements, requiring only tranquility, simplicity, and clarity. Aesthetics has no fixed rules, only patterns.

The following discussion takes currently publicly visible pure flowers as examples, focusing on "typed" su (including standard petal-type and strange-flower-type pure hearts), for exploration.

(1) Petal-Type Su

Includes su lotus, su plum, and su narcissus. Lotus-form su can also seemingly be included in this category, because the widely circulated and generally recognized famous orchid and cymbidium pure heart varieties are mostly lotus-form su, with upright flower form and spirit and charm, conforming to the aesthetic rules of petal-type flowers.

Su lotus. Among old spring orchid varieties there is actually no su lotus in the strict sense. The old variety Yang Shi Su, because its petals elongate beyond the lotus petal standard when fully open, should strictly speaking be classified as lotus-form su, including the new famous variety Yu Shi Su, which is also lotus-form su. Spring orchid lotus petal requirements are very strict; the only true su lotus that seems to have been publicly shown is Tianyi He; among old cymbidium varieties there is also no su lotus; judging from pictures, the new variety "Wang Shi Su" seems very promising; among lotus-petal orchids there is the hemp-shell su lotus "Su Guan He Ding." These few su lotuses show how rare and precious lotus-petal pure hearts are. Among Douban orchids, very beautiful su lotuses have been seen, but unfortunately the flowers are not fragrant.

From the few surviving su lotuses, we see the broad, thick petal texture of the lotus petal, the neat outer form, the rhythm of free contraction and release, paired with a pure tongue, adding a measure of refinement and transcendence to the luxurious and noble temperament. The su lotus teaches people broad-mindedness and the bearing of a great scholar; it belongs to the category of great elegance.

Su plum and su narcissus. Among spring orchids, well-known su plums include Cai Mei Su and Jiangnan Xue; su narcissus includes Cai Xian Su (which should be a differentiated form of Cai Mei Su), Yu Mei Su, and Zhizu Su (plum-type narcissus peach-cheek su). From comparison of these varieties, it is found that su plum is far less beautiful than su narcissus. Analyzing the form, hard columns, tight edges, and small lips make the flower very rigid; especially with hard columns and small tongues like Cai Mei Su, the clear and lively temperament of the pure flower is lacking. On the other hand, the overall form of Cai Xian Su and Jiangnan Xue is more relaxed and open than Cai Mei Su, and their grade is also higher. Although Yu Mei Su is a hemp-shell su, and its outer petals and column petals even have red veins, its slightly floating outer petals paired with a pure white small ruyi tongue make the whole very harmonious, with a very lively spirit and charm. Zhizu Mei Su is the highest-grade among these flowers, with a neat, rigorous form and a tall stem lifting it above the leaves, restrained but not rigid, fully displaying a jade-tree-in-the-wind, clear and refined, dignified temperament.

Column petal masculinization, in the aesthetics of plum and narcissus, belongs to a kind of "guarding" and "contraction," an expression of dignity and rigor. But in pure flowers, overly masculinized column petals make the flower form feel constrained, the flower's charm congealed, and the relaxed rhythm halted, which seems very incongruous with the relaxed, simple temperament of the pure heart. This is very similar to cold orchids: most hard-columned cold orchids lack lightness and agility, and their charm is diminished. We very much look forward to the appearance of a su narcissus with plum or narcissus outer petals but with smooth, simple soft columns, or similar to official-type hooding and smooth mouth, which can express rigor without indulgence, dignity without rigidity, possessing both the elegant temperament of plum and narcissus and the simple, rustic relaxation of pure flowers; that would be a very high-grade pure heart flower!

Lotus su (lotus-form su). So-called lotus su is simply understood as a pure heart with relatively broad outer petals and relatively obvious root contraction and corner release, distinguished from bamboo-leaf-petal pure hearts with narrow petals and straight, long shapes. Broad and round, the line variation is rich, and it feels full of charm. Lotus su and su lotus are two completely different concepts; lotus su is a very loose designation.

Characteristics of lotus su: when each petal is short and round, it often feels elegant and refined; when the petals are slightly longer, it often feels expansive and grand yet still refined. The famous old spring orchid pure heart varieties in circulation are mostly lotus su, such as Yang Shi He Su, Cangyan Su, Zhang He Su, Old Wentuan Su, Yuepei Su, Kui He Su (also known as He Su), Xuelian Su, Tiantong Su, and so on; old cymbidium varieties such as Jin'ao Su and Wenzhou Su are also lotus-form su.

  Yang Shi He Su, Cangyan Su, and Old Wentuan Su have short and broad outer petals and thick, glutinous texture, giving a very full and dignified impression, but all have varying degrees of column-opening, especially Cangyan Su. Old Wentuan has produced flowers with unopened columns, making it appear much more dignified. Zhang He Su has a tall stem, large flowers, and a broad lip, very magnanimous and grand, but most have drooping shoulders; when poorly opened, the shoulders droop greatly, which is its shortcoming. Yuepei Su has level shoulders, good embracing, and excellent texture, extremely elegant; its shortcoming is that the outer petals appear long. Kui He Su (He Su) has thick texture and green color, and its column petals can be tight with slight hooding, extremely full of charm, very rare; its shortcoming is that the outer petals are not broad enough and the flower type is medium-sized, more elegant than grand. Comparing Jin'ao Su with Wenzhou Su, the former has tight columns and level shoulders, with very correct form; the latter has a large tongue that is very distinctive, but its columns open. Both are very good pure hearts, but in comprehensive evaluation, Jin'ao Su seems slightly superior.

  In recent years many new lotus su varieties of orchids and cymbidiums have appeared. Among spring orchids, Yu Shi He Su, Luzhu Su, Haoyue Su, Haihe Su, and others are all very good flowers, each with its own characteristics; in recent years many new lotus su varieties of cymbidium have appeared, but few surpass Jin'ao Su. Some have both good color and texture, and good outer three petals, but if the columns open, the grade is not high.

(2) Strange-Flower Su

Those that can be seen include: su outer butterfly, su stamen butterfly, su peony, su chrysanthemum, and so on. Strange-flower categories originally belong to flowers with gaudy colors and assertive individuality, obtaining colorful visual effects through rich variations in form, color, and texture. Although different from traditional aesthetic habits, they are new content that Chinese orchid appreciation must supplement and perfect, and they conform to modern aesthetic principles. Strange-flower categories and the qualities of the pure heart are originally completely different: modern and traditional, flourishing and quiet, complex and simple, assertive and reserved - after the collision and fusion of the two, strange-flower su gives a novel beauty of rarity being precious; the rich variations of form and texture are unified in the light and elegant color, with stillness within movement, seemingly unconventional yet very harmonious, and precious for this reason.

Among strange-flower-type pure hearts, apart from the spring orchid Yang Shi Su Die being a traditional variety, basically all are new varieties.

Yang Shi Su Die is a su outer butterfly, with outer petals variably transformed into lip form, unstained by mixed colors; the overall flower color is very fresh and bright, but because the outer petals droop too much at the shoulders, it feels insufficiently spirited and cannot be counted as a superior-grade flower. As for other visible su outer butterflies, including in pictures, only a few new cymbidium flowers exist, and they seem extremely rare.

The same is true of su stamen butterflies. In recent years, spring orchid Tianshan Xuelian, Xiangtian Ge, and Miaojiang Su Rui have been seen at orchid exhibitions and online. Having seen many colorful and gaudy stamen butterflies, the spring orchid pure heart stamen butterflies seem to have an extra measure of elegance and distinctiveness. Cymbidium su stamen butterflies and su outer butterflies have also appeared in small numbers at orchid exhibitions and online in recent years; because there is no red mixed in, they appear brighter and more elegant, and if they are neat, symmetrical, and well lip-transformed, they are truly very stylish flowers.

Good peony-type Chinese orchids are inherently few; many lion-head-type strange flowers are called peonies. Peony-type flowers should have a clear composition of inner and outer layers of lip-transformed petals plus outer petals; there should be four or more lip-transformed petals and outer petals each to constitute the peony type, and usually only one nose, often in a mutated state. Judging from recent flower photos, Mingbang Su Die should be a su peony. Although the degree of lip transformation of the inner petals is not very high, signs of benign evolution can be seen, and the shape and structural arrangement of each petal are very symmetrical and neat, making it a very rare superior-grade flower.

Su chrysanthemums are also not many. A high-grade su chrysanthemum should have a structure similar to Yu Hudie, with layer upon layer of petals, lip-transformed and non-lip-transformed intermingled, and many noses, thereby constituting a chrysanthemum-petal type with vigorous momentum, plus pure and clean color, forming the su chrysanthemum. However, those seen to date all have few petals and simple composition; some even have no lip-transformed petals. Cymbidium Su Shiba seems somewhat more famous, but its petals are also not numerous and rich enough, and it is not a green cymbidium; although rare, it ultimately cannot be classified as high-grade.

Strange flowers with stable flowering and high grade are inherently few, and if they are also pure heart, they are even fewer. For butterfly flowers and peony types, requiring a high degree of lip transformation, symmetrical column petals, and neat petal type seems very difficult. High-grade su chrysanthemums and su tree-form flowers among orchids and cymbidiums also seem never to have appeared. However, for strange-flower-type pure hearts, if they do not possess the basic aesthetic requirements, it would be better to have a simple, neat pure heart, which has more of the essential beauty of the pure heart flower: simple, pure, and elegant.

(4) Colored-Petal Su

What is called colored-petal su here refers to flowers whose outer three petals and column petals are no longer the commonly seen yellow, green, or white colors, but other color ranges, while the lip is su. Currently visible such flowers can be roughly divided into two categories according to degree of color saturation: first, the light color range of pink, light purple, orange, and so on, often occurring in hemp-shell su and variegated-leaf su; second, the high-saturation gaudy color range of red, purple, or complex colors together with green, occurring relatively more often in western spring orchids, lotus-petal orchids, spring swords, Jian orchids, and Douban orchids.

The reason for listing colored-petal su separately is that the first category of flowers has an overall light and elegant color, with temperament and charm based on su. The second category of flowers, however, has overall gaudy flower color, strong color contrast, and full tension; like the red-lip series of flowers, it seems more appropriate to discuss them as colored flowers. Therefore, the colored-petal su discussed below mainly refers to the first category, pure hearts with an overall light and elegant color feeling.

Judging from places of origin, colored-petal su mainly come from the west in relatively greater numbers. Western Chinese orchids have obvious colored-flower characteristics; whether spring orchid, spring sword, lotus-petal orchid, or four-season orchid, all have colored-petal su, and among them are no lack of fine varieties; judging from varieties, in recent years quite a few colored-petal su have emerged in cymbidium, and because their rich colors carry red halos, they are often commonly called "rainbow su." Superior-grade colored-petal su combines the clear elegance of the pure heart with the charm of colored flowers; the light and natural warm colors set off the pure heart with a kind of warmth and bashfulness, like a blush added to a maiden's cheeks, extremely moving and endearing.

As a pure heart flower, the requirements for neat form and thick, glutinous texture are the same, and are the foundation of a good flower; as a colored-petal pure heart, the requirement for color also becomes very important. When colors are juxtaposed and transition, the requirements for brightness and purity appear very critical. Muddy colors in Chinese orchids are often caused by the mixing of red and green, a pair of contrasting colors; especially in the color transition of colored petals, turbid phenomena easily appear, affecting the light, bright effect of the overall flower color. Therefore, when the colors of the outer three petals and column petals transition between pink and yellow, or yellow and light green, the whole is relatively bright, while transitions between pink and green often easily become muddy, and cymbidium colored-petal su show this phenomenon more often. Colored-petal su is like a beauty's faint, barely-there light makeup; it is a category among pure heart flowers that is charming but not gaudy, warm and moving but not cold and proud, with a distinctive charm.

IV. Conclusion:

Aesthetics has no fixed formula but has patterns; aesthetics has grade and style and is not idealist. Orchid aesthetics should conform to the truth, goodness, and beauty of human nature. In Chinese orchid appreciation, the traditional petal-type theory is the foundation, the characteristics and individuality of the category are the supporting points, form, texture, color, and fragrance are the elements, and the way of change and unity, spirit and charm, is the conclusion. The appreciation of the pure heart should be understood dialectically; on the basis of conforming to the laws of beauty, an overall evaluation should be made around the individuality and characteristics of the pure heart. It is not a question of "narcissus su first, lotus su second," nor is it a question of whether su peony is necessarily better than su stamen butterfly, but rather a question of which specific pure heart has a higher or lower style than another pure heart, or which one has more characteristics or more temperament. Therefore, in the process of appreciation, we should not only touch with sensibility but also analyze with reason.

The way of nature and the universe unifies certain patterns of orchids and people. For example, one who wears plain clothes does not necessarily have a pure heart, and one who has a pure heart does not necessarily wear plain clothes; for example, all kinds of flowers correspond to all kinds of people, and every person has their own flower in their heart; for example, flowers blooming and fading are like the ups and downs of life; when the flourishing of life is over, it ultimately returns to plainness and simplicity; a flower that has bloomed for a thousand years with a pure heart still remains fragrant without anyone around, and so on. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all, in their questioning and seeking of the origin of all things in the world, ultimately return to simplicity and nothingness. And the pure heart is the simplest, most authentic, and most unadorned flower among Chinese orchids. The great Dao is supremely simple; this seems to be a kind of correspondence in the philosophical sense.

As it is said, one flower, one world. When a flower blooms, it always displays the beautiful and complete side. As long as we open our hearts, observe calmly, and comprehend with care, its beauty is enough to mirror our inner selves and expand the dimensions of our lives.