After King Gia Long unified the kingdom, during the First Month's Supreme Sacrifice ritual, the king issued an edict requesting each village to bring a precious flower to the capital city. In the royal court, there was an official from Thanh Tien Village who worked in the Ministry of Rites named Ta Huu Dong Nghi. He offered the king a five-colored flower with the profound meaning of the Three Bonds and the Five Constants: "The three branches of flowers in the center symbolize Loyalty, Filial Piety, and Righteousness. Among them, there is always one large yellow or red flower, representing the enlightened monarch, while the five smaller flowers on either side symbolize Benevolence, Propriety, Righteousness, Wisdom, and Faithfulness

Upon hearing the explanation of the meaning, the king encouraged Thanh Tien Village to continue making paper flowers for presentation, sale in the capital, and for popularizing the craft among the people. Paper flowers became closely associated with the religious beliefs of the people of Hue, initially as offerings to deities and ancestors, and later as decorations for households. The vibrant and colorful paper flowers, once exclusive to Thanh Tien Village, have now spread throughout the urban streets and rural villages of Hue every spring

However, it's unclear why the traditional paper lotus flower-making technique of the village was lost for 50 years. Fortunately, some villagers, including craftsman Nguyen Hoa and artist Than Van Huy, made efforts to research and restore the secrets of making paper lotus flowers. Through the success of various festivals, these lotus blossoms have transcended the peaceful village to reach new horizons, becoming a renowned export product of the ancient capital.

From the white lotus made of delicate tissue paper with a short bamboo stem, the Thanh Tien paper lotus flowers have evolved to be more diverse in colors and designs. This distinctive symbol of Vietnamese culture has reached Europe, the Americas, and Australia through tourists visiting Hue.