Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Om Shen Yun
    The Performance
    Er Shen Yun nytt for deg?
    Ni egenskaper ved Shen Yun
    Klassisk kinesisk dans
    Symfoniorkester
    Factsheet
    The Company
    Vår historie
    Life at Shen Yun
    Utfordringer vi står ovenfor
  • Artistene
  • Videoer
  • Siste nytt
    Siste nytt
    Nyheter
    Blog
    I media
  • Pressemeldinger
  • Ofte stilte spørsmål
  • Publikums reaksjoner
  • Lær mer Nyhetsbrev Søk
    Norsk
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Latviski
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • Melayu
  • עברית
  • Tickets & Info
    Meny
    Shen Yun Logo
    Billetter
    Siste nytt
    Meny
    • Om Shen Yun
      • Er Shen Yun nytt for deg? Ni egenskaper ved Shen Yun Vår historie Life at Shen Yun Shen Yun Factsheet Utfordringer vi står ovenfor Klassisk kinesisk dans Symfoniorkester
    • Artistene
    • Videoer
    • Siste nytt
      • Siste nytt Nyheter Blog I media
    • Pressemeldinger
    • Ofte stilte spørsmål
    • Publikums reaksjoner
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    What Makes Us Unique?

    DISCOVER THE 9 CHARACTERISTICS
    • Lær mer
    • Nyhetsbrev
    • Søk
    Språk
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Latviski
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • Melayu
    • עברית
      Blog
      Back Blog > An Udumbara Surprise

    An Udumbara Surprise

    In Chinese, the fig is known as the wúhuāguǒ (無花果), or the “flowerless fruit.” But it seems not all figs would agree with this name. I’ve got a fig, and it has a flower—an udumbara flower.

    The rare udumbara flower was first mentioned by the founder of Buddhism, Buddha Sakyamuni. He prophesied that in 3,000 years, this mystical flower would appear, and its appearance would signify that the Holy King Who Turns the Wheel has arrived.

    So what exactly does this flower look like? Basically just a white little bloom of petals supported by a long stem, the udumbara is simple, but beautiful. Most notably, the udumbara is small. It’s tiny. From bud to stem, an average flower measures about 4 mm (yes, millimeters). Over the last few years, these flowers have been sighted around the world on a variety of surfaces—everything ranging from Buddha statues and wooden pillars to windowsills, vegetables, and, most recently, figs.

    As surprised as I was to discover an udumbara flower on my fig, I must admit that I found it equally miraculous as to how the flower managed to stay in one piece. My roommate and I, well, let’s just say we aren’t the gentlest of fruit handlers. Arriving in Melbourne, roomie and I made a beeline straight for the famous Queen Victoria’s Market, affectionately dubbed “Queen Vic’s” by the locals. There we hit jackpot, scoring a whole load of lovely figs.

    Like anyone who got a bargain-priced tray of 28 figs, we were excited, halving and eating, stacking and juggling the poor figs before the miraculous finding. How a single, tiny udumbara flower survived our rough play, I can only imagine. But when I saw it, in all its gloriously minuscule beauty, I could only think one thing (other than “Good Golly, I already ate eight figs”): “I want to share this with the world.”

    Grand legends and epic myths—sometimes they don’t always come in the biggest forms; sometimes they’re easy to miss. Sometimes, they are only 4 mm tall. But sometimes, it’s the small things that hold the greatest meaning.

    P.S. As chance, or providence, would have it, we have a dance about the udumbara flower in this year’s program. Our MC tells me that, the last few days since I told him of my discovery, every time he introduced this piece he has a hard time not thinking of figs. As for me, every time I dance The Mystical Udumbara, I feel a renewed sense of enchantment.

    • Artist Perspectives
    • Traditional Chinese Culture.Life on Tour
    • Photo Journals
    • Shen Yun Dances
    • Flowers
    • Heavenly Themes
    Michelle Blogger Profile Shot

    Michelle Wu

    Contributing writer

    View all posts

    March 1, 2016

    RELATED CONTENT
    • Udumbara V2
      The Udumbara Flower
    Comments
    verification

    Previous

    Consummate Couture

    Next

    What’s in a Dancer’s Bag?
    Most Recent
    Most Popular
    • All
    • Nyheter
    • Blog
    Vis mer
    Vis mer
    Vis mer

    Tags

    • Artist Perspectives
    • Traditional Chinese Culture.Life on Tour
    • Photo Journals
    • Shen Yun Dances
    • Flowers
    • Heavenly Themes
    Shen Yun logo golden
    Shen Yun logo golden

    Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company, established in New York in 2006. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China. Through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is reviving this glorious culture. Shen Yun, or 神韻, can be translated as: “The beauty of divine beings dancing.”

    Om oss
  • Er Shen Yun nytt for deg?
  • Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
  • Life at Shen Yun
  • Shen Yun Factsheet
  • Utfordringer vi står ovenfor
  • Shen Yun & Spirituality
  • Møt artistene
  • Ofte stilte spørsmål
  • Videoer
  • Latest
  • Om Shen Yun
  • The Artists
  • Reviews
  • I media
  • Siste nytt
  • Featured
  • Nyheter
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • I media
  • Lær mer
  • Chinese Dance
  • Music
  • Vocal Music
  • Shen Yun Costumes
  • Digital Projection
  • Shen Yun Props
  • Stories and History
  • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
  • Interact with us:
    Follow Us on Gan Jing World
    Sign Our Guestbook
    Get to Know More about Shen Yun
    on Our Streaming Platform
    Arts Proficiency Assessment Center
    Keepsakes and Premium Collections
    Inspired by Shen Yun
    Artist Fashion
    Shen Yun Performing Arts offisielle nettside Copyright ©2025 Shen Yun Performing Arts. Alle rettigheter forbeholdes.
    Kontakt oss Brukervilkår Personvern Sidekart