The pink lotus will likely become Vietnam’s national flower after the fragrant plant was voted the most popular in polls conducted in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang.

It was announced at the closing of the polls in Ho Chi Minh City’s 23/9 Park on Sunday that the flower received over 70 percent of the votes.

In a recent poll carried out from June 9 to 12 in Ho Chi Minh City, 50,000 more ballots were given to voters in the city’s districts as well as 15 universities and colleges. More than 70 percent (around 31,150 ballots) voted for the lotus, followed by the apricot and peach blossom.

The pink lotus also won 70 percent of the votes during polls conducted in Da Nang and Hanoi.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism—the poll organizer—will submit the results to the government, which will announce the national flower.

Vietnam is not the only country that loves the lotus. It is also the national flower of India (white lotus), Egypt, and Sri Lanka, said professor Nguyen Lan Dung.

Many countries have national flowers including Iran (rose), Russia (sunflower) and Mexico (dahlia).

Lotus has been a Vietnamese cultural image for generations.

It is easy to spot with large, green and colorful lotus ponds commonly seen in rural areas. It has deep roots in Vietnamese minds and hearts and is widely considered as the symbol of simplicity, hospitality and purity.

It is able to grow in muddy ponds and can purify the water.

In Buddhism, the lotus is a symbol of mystery, illusion, and depth. Blossomed flowers symbolize the past, lotus cups the present, and lotus seeds the future.

In Vietnamese architecture and in Buddhism, the image of the lotus represents salvation and enlightenment.

Typical examples of lotus architecture include the one-pillar pagoda in Ha Noi, “Cá»­u phẩm Liên Hoa” tower, and But Thap pagoda in Bac Ninh.

Source: Tuoi Tre