Buddhism came to China in the Wei and Jin dynasties, at which time the lotus, which had been simply a source of food, became a symbol for purity and the subject of many poems. "Bathing in the clear water of the spiritual pond, the lotus 'roots dig deep into the soil."
佛教進入中土後，原本餵養眾生的荷花漸漸確立潔淨的象徵。在魏晉出現許多《芙蓉賦》，所謂「浴靈沼之清漱，結根柢於重壤。」