Chinese culture-centric Lotus Festival blooms in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - In the beautiful Echo Park in the western US city of Los Angeles, two-headed tots and raven-haired toddlers ran giggling together along the grassy banks of the lake while saucer-sized lily pads bobbed as dragon boats raced by.

A stone's throw away, under a perfect summer sky, visitors snapped selfies in front of a Chinese-style moon bridge which arched over a motionless inlet skirted with nodding reeds.

This bucolic scene was not in the countryside, but right in the heart of Los Angeles, at the 38th annual Lotus Festival last Saturday.