LookAtVietnam – You can’t walk on water, but you can stand on it.

That is, if you have a rare species of lotus that grows in a pond in front of the Phuoc Kieng Pagoda in Dong Thap Province’s Chau Thanh District. Venerable Thich Hue city Tu, head of the pagoda, often helps his guests stand on the leaves.

The three-meter diameter leaves of this lotus variety can hold a person weighing up to 60kg, locals say. No one knows the real name of the species, but it is locally called king lotus, flat basket lotus and other similar names

The creeper appeared in the pond in 1992. Six years later, the pond dried up, and so did the lotus, but a year later it sprang up again. The lotus flower produced by this creeper has an amazing property as well. When it opens, the flower is white, but after noon time, it turns pink and closes after two or three days.

The monk says scientists from Can Tho have tried to cultivate this species elsewhere, but have not succeeded thus far.

VietNamNet/VNS