Xianglian, a variety of lotus seed, round in appearance, 1.5 centimeters in size with shell. Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and other are planted.
When Xianglian began to cultivate, when the name on the list, no way to find out. 3000 years ago, the warring states chu doctor qu yuan, was exiled in hunan yuan xiang, wrote a lot of poems about the lotus description, such as the "beckon": "hibiscus began to hair, miscellaneous lotus some." Xiangjun: "I built a room in the water and repaired it with a lotus cover." From this, we can see that the Xianglian lotus was already a popular flower at that time, and the influence of the lotus had already penetrated into the folk customs of Hunan. Dr. Qu described the attire of "Shao Si Min" as: "Lotus clothes and crocodile sash, swiftly coming and passing away." He himself had to "make a water lily for his clothes, and a hibiscus for his robe." He imitates the dress of the "Shao Si Min".
More than 2,000 years ago, in the "Book of Yue Jie", there was a record of "Shen Shen like hibiscus, was born in Hunan". The archaeological department in Li County, nine excavations in the first Chu tomb of the Warring States, found lotus root and other objects. 1972 excavation of Changsha Mawangdui 1 Han tomb buried fruits and vegetables, found in lotus root slices, unearthed bamboo slips, "recipes" in the lotus root. These objects provide physical evidence that lotus root was produced in Hunan more than 2,000 years ago.
The origin
"Xianglian" was first mentioned in the book "Lotus Fugue" by Jiang Yan in the Southern Dynasty: "The misty lozenges are out of the waves, and the Xianglian is reflected in the water. To welcome a beautiful woman is to welcome the northern Yan, and to send her to the upper palace is to send her to the southern Chu." Not only the word "Xianglian" is used in the fugue, but also the southern foot is mentioned. This is exactly the name of the ancient Hunan region. It can be seen that the "Xianglian" in the North and South Dynasties has long been famous, and at this time have not seen other to the name of the lotus species of the record, see the "Xianglian" of the name of the lotus species in the early crown.
The book refers to
The hibiscus in Tan Yuzhi's poem, does it refer to the water hibiscus (lotus), or the wood hibiscus (refractory flowers)? Some people think it refers to the wood hibiscus. For example, in the poem "Reply to a Friend" in Mao Zedong's Selected Poems published in 1986, the note "Hibiscus country" in the poem "Hibiscus country" reads: "The place where the wood hibiscus opens everywhere." The new edition of the Dictionary also adopts the same phrase in the article "Hibiscus Kingdom". However, after quoting the above words and phrases of Tan Shi, he said: "At that time, there were many hibiscus flowers around Xiangjiang River in Hunan Province, so it was called this.
Some people also think that it refers to water hibiscus, and in the "Three Hundred Newly Selected Poems of the Tang Dynasty" published in 1980, Tan Shi's "Hibiscus Country" notes: "It refers to the present-day Hunan Province, which is rich in water hibiscus due to the many lakes and marshes in Hunan, and so it is called 'Hibiscus Country'". '." There is also a compromise approach, such as the China Friendship Association compiled "China's Provinces Overview Manual - Hunan Province" interpretation of "Hibiscus country", the two say both: "It is said that in the past in the Xiangjiang River Basin planted a lot of hibiscus (one said that for the wood hibiscus, said that for the water hibiscus, i.e., Ho flower), so Hunan and have 'Hibiscus country'."
More people think it refers to water hibiscus for three reasons: 1. These two lines of Tan Yuzhi's poem are obviously taken off from Qu Yuan's "Xiangjun": "Pick lotus and lychee in the water, hold up the hibiscus and the end of the wood." The meaning of these two lines of Qu Yuan's poem is to pick Ficus lycii in the water and lotus flowers in the water on the top of the tree, which is a metaphor for wanting to see Xiangjun but not being able to do so. The hibiscus here refers to the lotus flower in the water. The two lines of Tan's poem are also the same as Qu Yuan's, referring to the Ficus on land and the lotus in the water. 2. Hibiscus doesn't necessarily have to be planted by the water, while lotus can only be planted in the water. Tan was staying in the Xiangjiang River, see is the water, the water has a large area of the lotus is possible, to say that the water or the water's edge has a large area of the hibiscus, it is unreasonable. 3, Hunan since ancient times, there are records of the abundance of lotus flowers, the prevalence of which is called the "country" is well deserved, and no records of the abundance of hibiscus flowers. Moreover, the wood hibiscus is not a big use, how can a large area planted to the extent that can be called "country"? Obviously, this statement is not historically accurate. "Hibiscus country" should refer to a place where there were lotus flowers everywhere. Varieties
The main varieties of Xianglian are Xiangtan inch three lotus, hybrid lotus, Huarong shade white flower, Hanshou water fish eggs, Leiyang big leaf Pa, Taoyuan Jiuxi Jiang, Hengyang's Wu Lian and so on. Xiangtan lotus seed is the best among all. Xiangtan lotus not only has a long history of cultivation, but also high yield, excellent quality, famous at home and abroad, renowned ancient and modern. Especially "inch three lotus" is the most famous. According to legend, during the Warring States period, Xiangtan white stone store produced lotus seeds and lotus root powder to the court. Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties all put it as tribute. Hunan Tongzhi - Products Zhi: "Lotus root powder Xiangtan, Xiangxiang production, more abundant than elsewhere, A in the whole Chu, the year to fill the tribute." Qing Guangxu Xiangtan County Records: "Lotus has red, white two kinds, the official buyer into the tribute." "Tribute to the lotus, produced in Yangtang County West. Both and seekers, the natives planted, treasured for their own use. Tribute feeder bought the Hengyang Qingquan, said 'Xianglian'." Until the Qing dynasty Xuanzong (Daoguang) years, only "saintly virtue and frugality, all strike the four sides of the earth tribute, Xianglian tribute also stop." Xiyangtang is today's white stone store, the lotus produced for the famous "inch three lotus". After shelling, the three grains are one inch long, hence the name "inch three lotus". Because Xiangtan lotus seed quality is excellent, so there is "Xianglian A world, Tanlian crown Hunan" reputation, Xiangtan County is known as "China Xianglian township", Xiangtan City, known as "Lotus City".
To the Sui and Tang dynasties, Hunan lotus planting has been very common, and famous, which can be seen from the poems left at that time. For example, the Tang Dynasty Song Zhiwen "Autumn Lotus Fugue and preface": "to if born in Xiaoxiang Xiangtian Dongting, Qin have Ki Ao." Cui Yura "Yueyang Yunmeng Pavilion to see the flower lotus": "like drunkenness such as lethargy a water heart, the slanting sun wants to darken the color clouds deep. ...... At that time for you to write poems all over, this place according to the former mud ancient chant." From the poem, it can be seen that poets for the "Xianglian" chanting more. The late Tang Dynasty, Tan Yuzhi wrote a "autumn stay in Xiangjiang River in the rain", there are "autumn wind, thousands of miles of hibiscus country, evening rain, thousands of Ficus Li village" line, indicating that Hunan hibiscus is common, so Hunan has a "hibiscus country," the alias.