How much do you know about the legend and origin of the crape myrtle flower?
The crape myrtle tree has a graceful form, a smooth and clean trunk, and brightly colored flowers; it blooms right in the summer and autumn season when few other flowers are in bloom, and its flowering period is extremely long, lasting from June all the way to September, which is why it is called "Hundred-Day Red," and it also has the praise "In midsummer when green covers the eyes, this flower turns the hall red." So how much do you know about the legend of the crape myrtle flower?
The Legend of the Crape Myrtle Flower
Legend One: After Pangu separated heaven and earth, there was a beautiful little fairy named Ziwei. She had one wish, and that was to turn the earth into a beautiful fairyland, because at that time the earth lacked vitality, with no flowers, no grass, no butterflies or bees, and none of those lovely little animals like rabbits and kittens.
She could not bear to let things go on like this, so she went to beg the Fairy of Ten Thousand Flowers. The Fairy of Ten Thousand Flowers agreed to cast a magic spell to fill the earth with vitality again, but the condition was that she be turned into a flower. Gritting her teeth, she said firmly: "To make the earth into a fairyland, I am willing to become a flower!" In memory of the little fairy Ziwei, people called this flower the crape myrtle flower. The crape myrtle flower can bring people good luck and peace.
Legend Two: In the heavenly palace long, long ago lived a handsome prince. All the fairies in the heavenly court were infatuated with him, including the ordinary Fairy Ziwei. But her love was a silent love, unlike the other fairies who surrounded the prince all day long. Finally, one time, the prince passed by Fairy Ziwei's crape myrtle garden... Fairy Ziwei was overjoyed, her face covered with smiles, but her heart was pounding like a little rabbit, and she did not know what to say. Watching the prince's departing figure, Fairy Ziwei felt very disappointed, and then suddenly she saw the Peony Fairy appear by the prince's side. It turned out that the prince and the peony had long admired each other and had arranged to meet here.
Looking at the beautiful peony, Ziwei felt both joy and bitterness and helplessness in her heart, because Fairy Ziwei felt happy as long as she saw that the prince was happy, but this happiness of the prince was not given by herself, so she felt bitterness and helplessness. Although Fairy Ziwei's love for the prince received no reward, Fairy Ziwei still silently gave her love in the heavenly palace and the mortal world... So the flower meaning of the crape myrtle flower is - infatuated love! Legend says that if crape myrtle flowers bloom all around your home, Fairy Ziwei will watch over you and bring you a lifetime of happiness.
Legend Three: Once upon a time there was a fishing village by the coast. A sea monster caused havoc year after year, harming the villagers, and every year the fishing village had to send offerings to the sea monster to gain a brief period of peace. In the village lived a beautiful and filial girl who was chosen as the sacrifice to the sea monster and was imprisoned. She worried that after her death her sick old father would have no one to care for him, and tried to escape again and again, but each time the villagers caught her and brought her back.
One day her younger brother rescued on the beach a young man who had survived a shipwreck. When the young man heard that the village had the custom of throwing young girls into the sea as sacrifices to the sea monster, he was determined to save the girl. The young man begged the villagers to believe him and to fight the sea monster together for the village's lasting happiness, but the villagers believed he had offended the divine power and offered him up to the sea monster together with the girl. Just as the young man and the girl were about to be thrown into the sea, a group of guards appeared. It turned out that this young man was the prince.
The prince decided to fight the sea monster himself. Before setting out, to put the girl at ease, he said: "Don't worry, I will be fine. If I die, the returning sailing ship will hoist black sails instead of white ones." After enduring countless hardships, the prince and his attendants finally killed the sea monster, but the sea monster's blood dyed the white sails black. The girl, who was praying devoutly for the prince at the edge of the cliff, saw the black sails and thought the prince was dead. Her heart turned to ashes, she leaped off, and one beautiful crape myrtle flower after another bloomed at the edge of the cliff...
Legend Four: In ancient times, there was a fierce beast called Nian, which harmed countless people and livestock, so the Ziwei Star descended to the mortal world and locked it deep in the mountains. In order to keep watch over Nian, the Ziwei Star transformed into the crape myrtle flower and stayed at the exit of the mountain and in the mortal world, bringing peace and beauty to the world. Legend says that when you and your true love hold hands together under a crape myrtle tree, you can see the shape of heaven in each other's palms, and that will be the most perfect pursuit of your life.
If you have not yet met your true love, then silently recite your own name under the crape myrtle tree and gently touch the crape myrtle tree. It will tremble slightly, as if telling you that you will meet that person before long!
you can see the shape of heaven in each other's palms, and that will be the most perfect pursuit of your life.If you have not yet met your true love, then silently recite your own name under the crape myrtle tree and gently touch the crape myrtle tree. It will tremble slightly, as if telling you that you will meet that person before long!