The Pond Born of Love: Ancient Lotus Pond in Baoding County It is said that long ago, in Baoding County, Hebei Province, there was a prefect named Wei Ji, who had a loyal nephew and henchman named Wei Cong. In order to ingratiate himself with his superiors, Wei Ji decided to build the "Anle Palace" and assigned Wei Cong to forcibly recruit laborers and seize beautiful women from the villagers, causing great suffering to the common people. In Baoding County, there were two families. One had a daughter named Li Sumei, and the other had a son named Wang Qingbao. The two were engaged since childhood. However, just before their wedding day, Wei Cong led men to seize Li Sumei and bring her to the Anle Palace. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival of the eighth lunar month when the imperial censor, Mr. Zhang, arrived in Baoding County for an inspection tour. Wei Ji hosted a banquet in his honor and arranged for Li Sumei to perform singing and dancing on a boat in the pond. Unexpectedly, Li Sumei discovered Wang Qingbao disguised as a boatman on the boat. Despite everything, the two met and eventually jumped into the water together to take their own lives. The following summer, miraculously, a lotus pond grew in the very spot where Wang Qingbao and Li Sumei had jumped. The lotus flowers were both white and red. #Hebei #Baoding #Pond Follow #Culture & #Heritage to #travel in #Hebei