【Jiangxi】Lushan Mountain

Located 36 kilometers south of Jiujiang City by Poyang Lake, Lushan Mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Global Geopark renowned as "the most majestic and elegant mountain under heaven." It comprises over 90 peaks, with the highest, Hanyang Peak, rising 1,474 meters. Millions of years of tectonic movements and glacial erosion created its diverse landscapes—fault-block mountains, Quaternary glacial relics, and 22 waterfalls like the Three-Step Spring. Shrouded in mist for 200 days annually, Lushan is 5-6°C cooler than surrounding lowlands, making it a historic summer retreat. The heart of the area is Guling Town (1,100m altitude), named "Cooling" by 19th-century British missionaries whose European-style villas now serve as hotels. Culturally, Lushan symbolizes hermit culture; poet Tao Yuanming once lived here, and Bai Juyi’s Flower Path and Su Shi’s verse "I see not the true face of Lushan" originated here. Key sites include Ruqin Lake, Five Old Men Peaks, Meilu Villa (former residences of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong), and Hanpo Pass for sunrise above the cloud sea.

Admission is 180 yuan in peak season (April-November) or 135 yuan off-season; shuttle bus costs 80 yuan (valid 7 days). Foreign travelers can take a bus from Jiujiang Station to Guling (every 15 minutes) or drive from Nanchang via the Jingjiu Expressway.

Tip: 

① Allocate 3 days: Day 1 for the west route (Flower Path, Jinxiu Valley), Day 2 for the east (Five Old Men Peaks, Three-Step Spring), Day 3 for historic villas; 

② Try local "cloud mist tea" and stone frog dishes in Guling; 

③ Winter offers stunning snowscapes—bring non-slip shoes; 

④ Rapid weather shifts necessitate windbreakers and rain gear.