Rituals | Traditional Uses of Rural Plants

Pomelo

The name of pomelo, luk yau in Cantonese, sounds like “prosperity and protection.” According to the Shennong Bencao Jing, its leaves are described as “pungent and fragrant, able to dispel filth and evil, while harmonising vital energy.” In rural villages, villagers traditionally boiled pomelo leaves for a bath on Chinese New Year’s Eve, believing it could drive away dampness, bring blessings, and improve fortune. The aromatic scent of the leaves was also thought to refresh the mind.

Grass-leaved sweet flag

Known as the foremost of the “Five Auspicious Plants” of the Dragon Boat Festival. Its sword‑like leaves give off a ginger‑like fragrance when scraped. Villagers traditionally used the leaves in baths during New Year to ward off evil or hung it at their doors, with the saying “the sweet flag sword cuts down a thousand evils.” It grows widely in southern China, often in the cracks of rocks by streams. In ancient times, scholars admired its elegance and kept it on their desks as a symbol of refinement.