Lin Songtao 254238712@qq.com THE eighth lotus flower festival opened Friday at Hemei Qintang scenic spot in Qintang District, Guigang City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Visitors can wander through paths in over 2 million square meters of more than 350 lotus flower species to enjoy the beautiful flowers. They can also take a ride on a mini-train to view the blossoming flowers. Among the flowers are precious varieties of lotus such as National Day’s Red, Zuyun and Dasajing. Combining lotus culture and the culture of the Zhuang nationality, the Hemei Qintang scenic spot has attractions such as lotus gardens, a lotus pavilion, a lotus museum, a lotus cultural corridor, and a watermill. Infrastructure includes a bicycle riding path, and people can have a comfortable stay at the car camping base and at local B&Bs. In addition, travelers can also buy lotus-themed products ranging from lotus leaf tea to hand-picked lotus seeds, lotus root powder and lotus root candy. Having successfully held seven consecutive Qintang lotus festivals, the spot is a national 4A-level tourist scenic spot and a special agricultural demonstration area with more than 1,000 years of cultivation history of the Qintang lotus root, and a national leisure agriculture and rural tourism demonstration site. Added to the Hemei Qintang scenic spot in a previous selection of activities this year, there are four additional spots unveiled for the “best lotus viewing sites” in Guigang: Nanshan Park, Expo Garden, Zhongshan Park and New Century Square. | 