The Shanghai lotus and water lily exhibitionwill begin to bloom at Shanghai Guyi Garden in Jiading District tomorrow, featuring flower landscapes celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Lotuses and water lilies in red, pink, yellow and white present a sea of flowers.

About 500 varieties of lotuses and water lilies will be on display, including rare and 20 new varieties showcased for the first time at the classical Jiangnan-style garden, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

One of the landscapes features 100 lotus varieties of different shapes and colors, while another features the patterns of Red Boat, a historical boat in Jiaxing on which CPC founders convened a meeting in 1921, and architecture related to the city’s revolutionary history.

The exhibition runs through July 25, and the best time to visit is early July.

Lotuses are in bloom in the city earlier than usual due to the high temperatures of late.

Summer began on May 7, the second earliest on record and just a day later than in 2009.