What Lotus Is the Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus? The Secret Behind the Lotus Colors in "Ne Zha"

In the films "Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child" and "Ne Zha: The Demon Child Reborn in the Sea," one of the key treasures driving the story forward is the "Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus" . It possesses powerful effects, not only helping Ne Zha and Ao Bing "reshape their bodies", but also aiding them in overcoming numerous obstacles. So, what kind of lotus is this mysterious "Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus" exactly?

The common aquatic flowers in our daily lives that go by the name "lotus" mainly include two major groups: lotus and water lily. Lotus, which is what we commonly call the sacred lotus, belongs to the order Proteales, family Nelumbonaceae, genus Nelumbo. There are only two species in the world: the lotus widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, and the American lotus distributed in the southeastern part of North America. Its leaves are round, and the mature leaves and flowers stand tall above the water surface, making it a typical emergent aquatic plant. It also has well-developed, multi-noded horizontal rhizomes in the mud, which is the familiar lotus root. The lotus root powder used in the film to reshape the bodies of Ne Zha and Ao Bing is made from lotus root.

Water lily, on the other hand, is the collective term for plants in the order Nymphaeales, family Nymphaeaceae, genus Nymphaea. It occupies a basal position in the evolution of angiosperms and is distributed across all continents, with more than 60 species discovered so far. Its leaves are usually broadly arrow-shaped or hastate with a slit on one side, mostly floating on the water surface, making it a floating-leaved plant. The flowers also float or slightly rise above the water surface. Its underground stems come in various forms, and its fruit is a berry, with numerous seeds embedded in the spherical fruit. This is completely different from the lotus, whose several nuts (lotus seeds) are embedded in an inverted conical receptacle.

The film clearly shows the plot of using lotus root powder to reshape the bodies of Ne Zha and Ao Bing. Lotus root is a unique underground stem characteristic of the lotus, and the underground stem form of water lily is markedly different, lacking this well-developed, multi-noded horizontal rhizome. Therefore, from the use of lotus root, we can directly infer that the prototype of the Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus is based on the lotus.

Although the image of the Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus in the film has undergone artistic processing, judging from its tall, upright, and outwardly spreading form, it is more consistent with the characteristics of the lotus as an emergent plant with flowers standing tall above the water surface. Water lily flowers mostly float or only slightly rise above the water surface, and their overall form differs greatly from the Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus in the film.

From this, it can be determined that the image of the "Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus" in the film is derived from the lotus.

In reality, even counting the American lotus, the colors of the lotus are only different shades of yellow, pink, and white, and it is difficult for it to display "seven colors". This is mainly related to the pigment composition within the petal cells of the lotus. Among them, the most common and color-rich anthocyanins cover the red, cyan, blue, and purple color ranges, but Asian lotus cannot synthesize the anthocyanins that produce blue-purple flower colors, so they only have various pinks with red as the base color. The American lotus can also only accumulate a small amount of carotenoid pigments, appearing white to yellow.

Having discussed the prototype of the Seven-Colored Treasure Lotus, let us now look at the meanings behind lotuses of different colors. In Eastern culture, especially Buddhist culture, the lotus has always been revered. When the lotus blooms, it signifies a person's enlightenment, self-awareness, and journey of exploring ultimate knowledge. The flower growing from the mud symbolizes perseverance in adversity.

White lotus: relatively common in daily life, its flower meaning is remembrance and the joy of love, suitable for giving to a spouse or lover to express love and make the romance last. In Buddhism, the white lotus also represents the pure nature of the self, because its white color is pure and unstained by mixed colors.

Yellow lotus: highly ornamental, but its flower meaning is lost hope and gradually fading love, so it should not be given casually, lest it affect a relationship. In Buddhism, the yellow lotus represents merit and the practice of the ten paramitas, just as the sun and the earth nurture all things without complaint.

Red lotus: gives a feeling of passion, its flower meaning is fortitude and bravery, suitable for giving to one's father to express respect. In Buddhism, the red lotus (crimson lotus) represents the principle of sincere faith, with red symbolizing a loyal heart and devotion .

Dark blue lotus: blue usually represents purity and transparency. The blue lotus symbolizes eternity, reason, and calmness, and is even said to be able to bring the dead back to life, so it should not be given casually in daily life.

Cyan lotus: in Buddhism it represents wisdom. Cyan is the color of the growth and development of all things, symbolizing life, meaning that the nature of the self can produce various wondrous functions, and these wondrous functions are inseparable from the nature of the self .

Dark purple lotus: its flower meaning is profound. Because it is dark purple, it represents secret admiration. If you receive a dark purple lotus, it may mean the other person has admired you for a long time. Among the five-colored lotuses in Buddhism, the pink lotus (purple lotus) represents emerging from the mud unstained, that is, engaging with the world while keeping a transcendent mind. It is a harmonious blend of red and white, combining part of the meanings of both .

Gray-green lotus: green represents nature, peace, and harmony. It is the color of nature and makes people comfortable, but the flower meaning of the green lotus is condemnation, so it should be avoided when giving flowers.

The lotus not only plays an important role in mythological stories but also carries rich connotations in cultural symbolism. Lotuses of different colors are endowed with unique meanings, reflecting people's pursuit of emotion, character, and spiritual realms.