Building the symbol field of Đồng Tháp lotus flower

Abstract

The lotus flower is essentially a natural gift to people from different cultures, from East to West, from ancient times to modern times. Lotus flowers have the property of living in muddy and watery environments, rising strongly and blooming purely in the sun, and thus forming a symbol of many beautiful and noble emotions. In Vietnam, there is no place like the lowlands of Đồng Tháp (the Đồng Tháp Mười Basin) that fully integrates the basic elements of nature, humanities and culture, adapts and harmonizes to each other to form a lotus symbol field. This paper uses Louis Hjelmslev’s (1899-1965) concept of "logistics" in symbolic interpretation, combined with the three pillars of value proposed by UNESCO for heritage in contemporary life, to discuss ecological and human resources through comparative relevance to related cultures and to construct the symbolic field of the lotus flower in Đồng Tháp province. Therefore, the lotus symbol of Đồng Tháp is a unique product of the flood-prone basin of Đồng Tháp Mười (Đồng Tháp Province), with a historical and cultural heritage of nearly two thousand years, and is closely related to the local culture and social background. This study proposes four basic values ​​in the lotus symbolic domain of Đồng Tháp: harmony, beauty, purity, and blessings.