Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

Eating lotus is supposed to make you forget hardship and be happy, which is just as well for these workers forced to snack on the plant in the middle of a frozen lake while harvesting its roots.

The footage was shot at a Lotus farm in the prefecture-level city of Yancheng in China’s north-eastern Jiangsu province during a break in the harvesting of lotus plants.

A woman, who has prepared some roots, is seen placing them in a pot where they are handed out to male colleagues, who start munching on them with chopsticks.

The group are smiling despite what is obviously freezing conditions, with chunks of ice on the surface of the pond.

In Greek mythology, the Lotus-eaters lived on an island where the only food was the Lotus tree, which provided food for residents that was also a narcotic.

It caused them to regularly fall asleep, forget their troubles and according to legend, the only people they ever wanted to be with were other lotus-eaters.

Ironically, it has come to mean somebody who likes the luxury life and does not like worrying too much about hardship, which certainly does not apply to these modern-day lotus-eaters in the middle of harvesting the crop.

The group, who were seen eating the slightly sweet and crispy plant as well as a dish of noodles, were apparently rushing to get the crop in, so that it can be sold as a tonic for the elderly and the young, and also as a vital supplement for those who are weak or sick.

In Chinese medicine, it reportedly cools the blood and can stop bleeding. It is also touted as a weight-loss supplement.

The roots grow in mud at the bottom of ponds, and the roots have to be sold whole and not broken otherwise they have no value, making the worker’s job even more difficult.