Dunhuang murals belong to the World Cultural Heritage, with different aesthetic characteristics and artistic styles from secular paintings, plant patterns as an extremely important form of artistic expression has always run through it, the murals are rich in flowers and trees, lush forests and grasses, and rich in species connotations.
Orchid, a plant in Dunhuang murals
Photo by Chen Binghua
Orchids (Cymbidium ssp.) are epiphytic or ground-borne herbaceous, collectively known as orchids of the genus Orchidaceae. The leaves are banded or inverted lanceolate, with a sheath at the base enclosing the false bulb, with nodes; the leaf side grows at the base of the false bulb, a total inflorescence, with several flowers or multiple flowers. Orchid is a magical flower, the peculiarity is in order to adapt to insect pollination, and has a pillar, beak, pollen mass and lip flap, etc., plus the orchid is a symmetrical flower on both sides, the base of the lip flap forms a sac with honey glands, the number of stamens is small, the lower part of the ovary, the flower shape, size and color are diverse.
Chinese has always regarded the orchid as a symbol of high purity and elegance, and is on a par with "plum", "bamboo" and "chrysanthemum", and is called "four gentlemen". Usually,"Lan Zhang" is used as a metaphor for the beauty of poetry, and "Lan Jiao" is used to praise the truth of friendship. The orchid in the traditional Chinese flower refers to several species of land-growing orchids distributed in the Chinese orchid genus, such as Huilan, Jianlan, Molan, etc., the so-called "Chinese orchid". The orchid ranks among the top ten famous flowers in China, with a light and elegant flower color and a winding path. Historical records record that the whole herb can be medicated, and has the effect of nourishing the yin and moisturizing the lungs, moisturizing the water, clearing heat and detoxification.
(Source: China Wildlife Conservation Association Public Account Editor Wang Qiang)