Lushan Mountain [Jiujiang]

Lushan Mountain is located in the southern part of Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, on the bank of Poyang Lake. It is one of China's famous mountains and covers an area of 302 square kilometers. The mountain is a well-known scenic area, summer resort and place for patients to recuperate. Dahanyang Peak, the highest peak, rises 1,474 meters above sea level. The mountain boasts in imposing and magnificent peaks, unique waterfalls, and historical sites as well as a ganging sea of clouds and a warm and comfortable climate.

On December 6,1996, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Landscape in the World Heritage List and gave the following remarks: "with its peculiar style in historic remains, which is melted with remarkable natural beauty, Mt Lushan has formed a highly- aesthetically-valued cultural view closely relevant to the sprit of the Chinese people and their cultural life".

The main scenic spots on the mountain include the Peak of the Five Old Men, ThreeStep Spring, Hanpo Pass, Lulin Lake, Great Tianchi Lake, Flowerpath, Ruqin Lake, Jingxiu Valley, Immortal's Cavern, Lesser Tianchi Lake, Donglin Temple, White Deer Cave Academy Lushan Botanical Gardens and Lushan Museum.

Guling Town, the center of the scenic area, is a unique city on the mountain. At an altitude of 1,167 meters, it is surrounded on three sides by mountains. To its north is Scissors Pass. A mountain highway leads to the various scenic spots from the city. The 1,211meter-high Hanpo Pass lies between the Peak of the Five Old Men and Jiuqi Peak.

Poyang Lake is in the south of Hanpo Peak and its extensive surface is dotted with thousands of boats. Hanpo Pavilion is an ideal place to view the sunrise. To the east of Three-Step Spring is the Peak of the Five Old Men where a waterfall cascades from rock to rock in a total drop of 300 meters. West of Guling is the Flowerpath where the noted poet of the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, wrote poems expressing his admiration of the peach blossoms. Donglin Temple on the northwest slope of the mountain is the birthplace of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism. White Deer Cave Academy is in a valley at the foot of the Peak of the Five Old Men and was one of the earliest institutes of higher learning in ancient China. The Greater and Lesser Tianchi Lakes are beautiful scenic spots on the mountain and contain water all the year round.

The Greater Tianchi Lake is an ideal place to view a sunset and enjoy the Yangtze River while the Lesser Tianchi Lake is a good place to enjoy the beauty of the Poyang Lake. Trees surround Lushan Museum on the northern bank of Lulin Lake; it houses ancient Chinese bronzes, pottery from different historical periods, calligraphic works from Tang Dynasty and paintings from Ming and Qing dynasties. The Lushan Botanical Gardens are in a valley to the east of the mountain. At an altitude of 1,000 to 1,300 meters, they are sub-highland botanical gardens and were founded in 1934. The gardens cover an area of three square kilometers, grow more than 3,400 kinds of plants and preserve 100,000 plant samples.

Everyone is greeted everywhere with reddish cliffs, verdant dales, overhanging rocks and thunderous cataracts.In the depths of centuries-old forests are tucked famous scenic spots and historic place, with its splendid landscape of mountains and waters, is now a world-renowned summer resort.

Mt Lushan bristles with lofty peaks in an infinite variety of forms. Some rise sheer from the ground while others look dangerously steep or elegant. Of the over 90 major peaks there, the highest, known as Dahanyang, is more than l,500 meters above sea level. For grotesqueness in shape, however, one has to look to Wulao Peak, one of the most magnificent sights across the land.

The bestknown, perhaps, is the ever-changing mist that wraps up the mountain all the year round. In a poem devoted to the misty Lushan Tang Bohu,the celebrated Ming Dynasty painter and calligrapher wrote, "Mt Kuanglu, shrouded in dense fog, rises beyond the highest heavens" . And no wonder Su Dongpo, a brilliant poet of the Song Dynasty should have queried in one of his poems: "How could one tell what Mt Lushan really looks like when one is in the midst of the mountain all along?"

In addition to hundreds of natural tourism sights, the Lushan Mountain also has over 200 newly-discovered geological remains of scientific importance.

Include in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.