What flower is shown on Macau's regional flag?

The flower shown on Macau’s regional flag is the lotus.

The white lotus sits above a stylized representation of the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and water on an emerald-green field. Above it is an arc of five golden five-pointed stars: one large central star and four smaller stars. Together, these elements identify Macau as a maritime territory and a region of China.

The lotus was chosen as Macau’s floral emblem. The bridge symbolizes a major connection between the Macau Peninsula and Taipa, while the water reflects Macau’s history and role as a port. The five stars echo the design of China’s national flag and express the territory’s relationship with its sovereign state.

The regional flag was approved by China’s National People’s Congress on 31 March 1993 and first used on 20 December 1999, the date of Macau’s handover from Portuguese administration to China. A peony, orchid, or bauhinia may appear in other cultural contexts, but the flag’s flower is specifically a lotus.