The 4th edition of the Hengqin Lotus Festivalwill take place from 26 June to 10 July at theLotus Garden of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, where a rare twin lotus has already emerged ahead of the event’s official opening.

Preparations for the annual summer festival are underway across the garden, with seasonal landscaping and floral displays being installed before the start of the event.

This year’s featured variety is the Nelumbo nucifera“Xingfen”(literally “pink beige”), which has also been selected as the theme flower for the Macao Lotus Flower Festivalthis year.

The twin lotus,where two buds grow from a single stem, is considered uncommon and is traditionally associated with unity and harmony in Chinese culture.

Water lilies and other lotus varieties have also begun flowering across the garden as the summer bloom season starts. Officials expect visitor numbers to surge after the festival’s launch.