In the month of June Macao hosts a lotus flower festival. This year, in order to commemorate two anniversaries – the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) – the city hosts the 33rd National Lotus Flowers Exhibition and the 19th Macao Lotus Flower Festival. The festivities feature 13,000 of the potted blooms in major parks, squares and road junctions across the city.

The theme species for this year’s Macao Lotus Flower Festival is “Haojiang Qing”. It was specially bred by the Lotus Research Centre of China to mark the 20th anniversary of the Macao SAR. The bloom of the graceful-looking “Haojiang Qing” is large and typically with white petals arranged tightly and concentrically.

One of the principal places to appreciate the Festival’s lotus blossoms is near the Taipa Houses. The floral display there takes as its theme the “Splendours of the Tang Dynasty”. It includes painstakingly-prepared examples of the Festival’s theme flower “Haojiang Qing” as well as other meticulous arrangements.

A flowering and brightly-coloured lotus naturally has a pleasant scent irresistible to bees and other pollinating insects.

Lotus flowers stand out against their supporting green stems and leaves in their watery home. The lotus flower is an unrivalled symbol of enlightenment and is sacred in a number of folk cultures and religions.

A freshly-blossoming lotus is traditionally a symbol of purity.

Mist adds a romantic touch to this brightly-coloured aquatic bloom.

Several fully-blooming lotus form a worthy subject for nature’s canvas.

Seeing lotus flowers nodding gently in a summer breeze is a relaxing and refreshing experience.

Down by the water near the Taipa Houses, observers can see more clearly the refinement and beauty of the lotus plant. It acts as a reminder of why Macao was dubbed a “land of treasured lotus”.