(Chinanews.com/Liu Xianguo)

On July 7, ancient lotus seeds unearthed at the ruins of Yuanmingyuan, also known as the Old Summer Palace, were found in full bloom for the first time after remaining dormant for over a century.

The seeds were discovered in a pond of the relics of Yuanmingyuan in 2017 during an archaeological excavation. Back then, there were 11 lotus seeds discovered in total, all of which were taken to the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences for breeding on May 31, 2018.

Eventually, three of the ancient lotus seeds were sent to the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University for year identification, while the remaining eight were used for the breeding experiment. With meticulous care from specialists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, six of the lotus seeds started to sprout.

This April, the six seeds were moved from the greenhouse into the lotus base in the relics of Yuanmingyuan. Recently, after “sleeping” for about 100 years, these ancient lotus seeds start to bloom - so surprising that it is being called “a wonder of life” by netizens.