夏日的钟山，蝉鸣渐起，“花木阴阴正可人”的绿意里，最引人驻足的，还是那一池摇曳的荷花。朱自清写道：曲曲折折的荷塘上面，弥望的是田田的叶子。叶子出水很高，像亭亭的舞女的裙。

As summer deepens at Zhongshan Mountain National Park, the cicadas begin their chorus and the greenery grows dense and vibrant. Amid this lush landscape, it's the lotus ponds that quietly steal the spotlight. As writer Zhu Ziqing once described, "As far as eye could see, the pool with its winding margin was covered with trim leaves, which rose high out of the water like the flared skirts of dancing girls."

“江南可采莲，莲叶何田田”，荷花似乎自带江南水乡气。此时，钟山风景区的每一片水面上，莲荷们正在悄无声息地生长。荷叶层层叠叠，荷花明艳清丽。漫步其间，轻嗅花香，好像生活的美好不过如此。

"The south of the Yangtze River teems with lotus seeds. How dense and flourishing are the lotus leaves!" In southern China, lotus flowers seem to carry the soul of the Jiangnan water towns. During this season, every pond at Zhongshan Mountain National Park comes alive with their quiet charm. Lotus leaves layer upon one another like umbrellas of green, while graceful pink and white blossoms emerge between them. Stroll along the banks, take in the soft fragrance, and for a moment, life feels just right.

满池绿意铺陈开来，荷叶挨挨挤挤，像一把把撑开的绿伞，高低错落，粉白相间的荷花亭亭玉立，清风掠过，荷叶与荷花一同轻轻摇曳，翠浪翻涌间，花朵若隐若现，空气中弥漫着淡淡的荷香。

A sea of green stretches across the pond—layer upon layer of lotus leaves rising and falling like open parasols. Among them stand elegant blossoms in shades of pink and white. When a breeze sweeps through, the leaves and flowers sway gently together. Waves ripple through the emerald surface, hiding and revealing petals like a painter's brush playing with light and shadow. A delicate lotus fragrance lingers in the air.

荷花别称莲、菡萏、芙蕖、芙蓉等，集观赏、食用、药用及文化象征于一体，被誉为“花中君子”，是中国十大名花之一，自古就受文人所偏爱。周敦颐的《爱莲说》称其“出淤泥而不染，濯清涟而不妖”，赋予其高洁风骨，屈原“制芰荷为衣”以明志，李白写下“清水出芙蓉”的惊艳，荷花被赋予了很多美好的寓意。

The lotus, also known by many poetic names—lian, handan, fuqu, furong—is more than a flower. Admired for its beauty, valued in cuisine and medicine, and revered as a cultural symbol, it is honored as the "gentleman among flowers" and ranks among China's ten most beloved blooms. Ancient scholars and poets have long cherished it. In his essay Ode to the Lotus, Zhou Dunyi praised it: "Born from the mud yet unstained, bathed in clear water yet not seductive." Qu Yuan fashioned lotus leaves into garments to reflect his ideals, while Li Bai admired the flower "rising from clear water like flawless beauty." The lotus embodies purity, strength, and grace.

烟雨江南，梅子成熟时，也是雨水最多的时节。梅雨时节的荷花，更具意境。雨点飘落时，圆润的荷叶就成了天然的玉盘，托着水珠簌簌滚动，花瓣低垂，随风摇曳，偶尔有蜻蜓站在初绽的花苞上，是杨万里笔下“小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头”的真实写照。雨后，荷香裹挟着泥土的清气扑面而来，连夏天的浮躁也随之消散。

During the rainy season in Jiangnan region—when the plums ripen and rainfall peaks—the lotus takes on an even more poetic presence. Raindrops fall onto the broad, round leaves, turning them into jade-like dishes cradling crystal beads of water. Petals droop and sway with the breeze. Sometimes, a dragonfly lands on a newly opened bud, just as poet Yang Wanli described: "A young lotus just peeks above the surface, and already a dragonfly rests on top."After the rain, the scent of lotus mingled with damp earth rises gently into the air, calming even the restlessness of summer.

水边赏荷，你会发现满眼都是诗画里的景。荷叶圆圆，那是周邦彦笔下“小楫轻舟，梦入芙蓉浦”的思乡风景；粉荷盛开，让人想起李清照划船“误入藕花深处”的醉意；而月光下的荷影，正是朱自清写的“舞女的裙”。

As you stroll beside the water, it feels like walking into a living painting. The round lotus leaves recall poet Zhou Bangyan's dreamlike line: "A light boat drifts into a lotus-filled dream." The blooming pink petals might remind you of poet Li Qingzhao drifting too deep into a lotus pond in her boat, tipsy and carefree. And by moonlight, the swaying silhouettes of the blossoms are just as writer Zhu Ziqing wrote—"flared skirts of dancing girls."

暑气渐长，新叶满塘，花开正盛，快来赴一场夏天的浪漫约会吧。

With summer in full swing and fresh leaves covering the water, the lotus is in peak bloom. Come and enjoy a romantic rendezvous with the season.

赏荷点推荐：明孝陵景区、灵谷景区

Recommended viewing spots:

Ming Tomb Scenic Area

Linggu Scenic Area