The pronunciation of lotus in Mandarin is “lian-hua” which corresponds with the reverse pronunciation of Hualien, and it is easy to be remembered. Lotus, emerging unstained from the filth, is the symbol of purity in Chinese folklore that represents Hualien as the last pure paradise in Taiwan. Lotus is an aquatic perennial herb with elliptic leaves as well as long stalks with rhizomes filled with air-pockets growing in mud under water. The lotus flowers, with colors ranging form light red, yellow, light purple to white, bloom in the summer, and they have very large petals which could be either in single or multiple petals. Lotus nuts grow within seed pods; moreover, these seeds and underground roots are edible.