Looking back at the myth and legend, feel the charm of traditional farming culture

The myth that won the Grand Gold Award at the Xinchang Orchid Show on March 2, 2008

Looking Back at the Myth ---- The Complete Archive
Fate and Xinchang
Many years ago, by chance, I accompanied a friend to Xinchang to see fossilized wood. My friend made a huge haul, while I discovered what would become the largest distribution center for wild-collected orchids in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. After that, from November to March of the following year, I rushed to Xinchang almost whenever I had free time. Even today, many years later, Chen Jiang, a friend I made on my very first trip to Xinchang, still says: you kid, once winter comes you'd want to live in Xinchang, but once the season passes you can't even hit me with a gun...

First Encounter with the Myth
At the time, in the eyes of the flower-digging farmers of Xinchang, Chen Jiang was already a myth. Whenever something good came down the mountain, they would call him to take a look. This man's greatest wish was to find a new lotus-petal orchid, and he truly had a fate with lotus petals. In the spring of 2001, he showed me the 'Qianggong He' (Qianggong Lotus). I told him the flower was a lotus petal, but the plant was not what I would call a lotus-petal plant. Chen Jiang laughed and said, the standard lotus-petal plant you talk about, I have one too. With that he brought out a tiny plant -- the future myth. 2 shoots, about 5 or 6 cm tall. I took one look: 'Universal'! Chen Jiang laughed and said, you're crazy, look more carefully, it might be a plain-color lotus, the bud is plain, someone has already offered me 5,000 yuan, I won't sell. I said you're the crazy one, a gamble plant, a tiny seedling, and you're selling it for 5,000? How much does your 'Qianggong He' sell for? He just smiled and said nothing. Looking closely at this thing, all upright leaves, it did look a bit like 'Universal', but the plant's tightening and spreading was not as good as 'Universal'. So I needled him: even if it blooms as a lotus petal, the petals won't be too wide. He said, what I'm gambling on is a plain-color lotus. Well, then gamble away. I put down the plant and went off to admire 'Xiaoyao'...

A Brush Past Each Other
Two years later, in March 2003, there was a big snow in Jiangnan, the roads were closed, and we couldn't get to Ru'ao. Sitting in Chen Jiang's home, looking at a strange Cymbidium faberi plant, the conversation drifted to that lotus-type gamble plant. Chen Jiang said many people had their eyes on this plant and wanted to make an offer to gamble on it. I said I knew, didn't you tell me last time? Chen Jiang said someone had already offered 20,000 yuan. I said you Xinchang people are truly crazy, even things with rounder heads than this bloom as ordinary flowers, let alone this one. Is lotus petal really that easy to gamble on? Now it seems it wasn't the Xinchang people who were crazy, it was my eye that wasn't sharp enough. I didn't know this little kid would grow up to be an unmatched beauty. And at the time, if I had really wanted to get a division, it shouldn't have been difficult. Alas, fate had not yet arrived.

No Chance to See It
Then suddenly I heard that at the Zhuji Orchid Show, Chen Jiang had exhibited a lotus flower -- the Myth -- and it bloomed extremely well. But I could never squeeze out the time to go see it. Finally at the Wuhan Orchid Show, I went in and out of the exhibition hall three times and still couldn't find this flower. I even called Chen Jiang to ask him to point out its location, and still couldn't find it. Anyway, I had been disappointed by new lotus-petal orchids too many times and held no hope. If I don't see it, so be it. Back in Shanghai, I gradually forgot about it.

Four Trips to Xinchang
Friends around me kept hearing me talk about how many wild-collected orchids come down from Xinchang, and they all insisted I take them there once. At Chen Jiang's home, a huge color photo of the Myth caught everyone's eyes. Everyone photographed the Myth's flower bud again and again, and so more orchid friends made the trip down to Xinchang. At the time an old painter wanted to take that pot of five shoots with flowers back to Shanghai, but I stopped him. After all, at such a high price, with only a photo to go on, the risk was too great. Besides, it was about to bloom, so better to wait a little longer.
February 21 was the day of the Wenzhou Orchid Show, but as soon as we heard the Myth had opened, we rushed to Chen Jiang's home early on the 19th. The flower was carried out from the bathroom, just forced open, the stem basically flat to the ground, such a delicate lotus petal, in first opening, even shorter than in last year's photo on the first day. I took countless photos. Then on the afternoon of the 22nd at the National Orchid Show, I saw the Myth again. On the 28th I saw photos of the Myth from the Yangzhou Orchid Show online, and sure enough, the stem rose higher and higher, the petals opened wider and wider, while the column always stayed clasped, the shoulders basically never dropped. With such form, such flower retention, I could not miss it again. On March 1, I finally brought the Myth home from Xinchang......

Photo of the Myth in bloom in 2007
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 Photo of first opening on February 19, 2008
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The Myth at the Wenzhou National Orchid Show on February 22
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2008 bloom form
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The Myth that won the Grand Gold Award at the Xinchang Orchid Show on March 2
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