The lotus is not just beautiful; it also has these impressive capabilities
Beyond its elegant and refined beauty, just how capable can a single lotus be? Visit the "Kuanhuaxi Cross-Strait Modern Efficient Agriculture Lotus Industrialization Demonstration Park" in Hongya County, Meishan City, Sichuan Province, and you will find the answer.
On one side, giant Victoria amazonica leaves as big as bathtubs are lined up one after another across a pond; on the other side, lotus flowers in tender yellow have already filled the back baskets of the lotus-picking girls. Today, the "Kuanhuaxi Cross-Strait Modern Efficient Agriculture Lotus Industrialization Demonstration Park" has entered its most beautiful season, with lotus flowers of all kinds whose names you cannot recall standing gracefully and swaying in the wind.
Lotuses bloom and walkways wind along. When you come here, tasting freshly picked lotus tea is a signature activity of the park. Pick a lotus flower and place it in a transparent teapot, slowly pour in hot water, and the flower and water blend together; the tea liquor gradually takes on the color of the petals... Pour the tea into a cup and take a gentle sip, and a damp, cool sensation strikes the taste buds. Paired with the understated elegance of the lotus and the color of the tea liquor, it brings a sense of calm.
The park's "mastermind" comes from Taiwan, China, and is a diversified comprehensive group enterprise. Li Yiling, general manager of the group's operations center, told reporters that construction of the park began in 2012. After more than three years of land fallowing and restoration, lotus seedlings were gradually introduced from around the world. More than 20 varieties have now been successfully cultivated and improved, and a core demonstration park for sacred lotus seedling and germplasm resources covering an area of more than 500 mu has been built.
Li Yiling said that the core demonstration park for seedling and germplasm resources is only one link in the group's lotus industry chain. In the future, an industrial park integrating lotus cultivation, primary processing and deep processing, leisure sightseeing, education and teaching, and cultural creativity will gradually take shape, covering six major sections: an agricultural Disney industrial zone, an agricultural Silicon Valley industrial zone, a fine agriculture industrial zone, an agricultural wellness industrial zone, an outward-bound experience industrial zone, and a LOHAS agriculture industrial zone.
When the tea liquor is almost gone, take out the lotus flower, and the transparent gel in the stem is ready to emerge. "This is natural plant collagen, an excellent skincare and beauty health product," Li Yiling said.
At present, using the natural properties of the lotus, the park has developed dozens of derivative products, including lotus enzyme, lotus enzyme body wash, lotus enzyme facial cleanser, lotus essential oil, handmade lotus soap, lotus incense sticks, lotus collagen, lotus honey, lotus vinegar, lotus wine, lotus chili sauce, and pickled lotus shoots.
What is even more unexpected is that not only is the lotus flower a treasure; the potential of the lotus stem has also been developed. In the park's product showroom, various finely made four-piece bedding sets, cotton-padded clothes, and cotton-padded quilts caught the reporter's interest. Could these also be related to the lotus? "That's right, these products are all made from fiber extracted from lotus stems. They feel delicate and soft, warm in winter and cool in summer, and are especially suitable for the elderly and children," said Zhong Jian, director of the operations center. Lotus fiber is priced far higher than ordinary fabrics such as cotton and linen. Will the market accept it? Zhong Jian explained that the technology for extracting and applying lotus fiber has matured, and the company's developed home products have already entered "IKEA" for sale, with ordering customers including well-known brands such as McDonald's.