In a natural environment, lotus grow in muddy pounds. However, when they emerge from the water, they always reveal the most pure color to their surroundings. Chinese often refer the lotus to encourage people to be true to oneself regardless how bad the environment he/ she was brought up with.
Chinese plum tree always bloom in a hush winter. The colder the weather is, the more their flowers bloom. In the old time, Chinese lived in a vase land with a hush environment. People often look for comfort and encouragement from nature.