Zhu Bishan, a Zhongshan native living in Japan and vice president of the Kansai Guangdong Association, returned to her hometown on October 8, sharing tips on growing the "Sun Wen Lotus" and the century-old story behind at the Museum of Dr Sun Yat-sen.

In 1918, while in Japan, Sun Yat-sen gifted 4 lotus seeds from his hometown to Takashi Tanaka, a Japanese friend who had long supported his revolutionary cause. Only one plant finally survived and bloomed after cultivation. The lotus was named the "Sun Wen Lotus" in memory of Sun Yat-sen.

On March 18, 2018, the 100th anniversary of the seeds gifting, Leland Sun, Sun Yat-sen's great-grandson, received a rhizome of the lotus from Akio Kaneko, a director of the Lotus Flower Society of Kyoto, at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Kobe, Japan. Zhu Bishan witnessed the occasion and helped bring the lotus root back to Sun Yat-sen's hometown.

After 8 years of careful cultivation, the lotus bloomed for the first time on July 9, 2026, producing 2 flowers in front of the Museum of Dr Sun Yat-sen — a unique living tribute ahead of the 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth.

Looking at the lotus root in her hands, Zhu Bishan was full of anticipation: next year, the year after and every spring to come, new shoots will grow from the soil and new flowers will bloom. Like the lotus, Zhu's affection for her hometown keeps growing and will never fade.