[Lushan Three-Day Tour Guide] A Fairy Mountain in the Clouds and Mist: A Look at Its True Face
Preface
Mount Lu, steeped in history and renowned for its grandeur, uniqueness, ruggedness, and beauty, is arguably the most beloved mountain by Chinese literati. From ancient times to the present, 3,500 scholars have penned over 16,000 poems here.
Li Bai's "The waterfall plunges three thousand feet, I wonder if it's the Milky Way falling from the sky" captures the details of Mount Lushan, while Su Shi's "I cannot see the true face of Mount Lushan, because I am within it" captures its myriad transformations. These lines imbue Mount Lushan with a sense of legend, making people even more eager to explore.
Lushancheck the details
Mount Lu, also known as "Kuang Lu," is located in Lushan District, Jiujiang City, in northern Jiangxi Province, south of Jiujiang County and west of Xingzi County. Renowned for its unique beauty, ruggedness, and grandeur, the mountain, river, and lake seamlessly blend into one, earning it the reputation of "Kuang Lu, the most picturesque and picturesque mountain in the world." Long known as the "immortal's abode," Mount Lu boasts 12 scenic areas, 37 scenic spots, and 230 scenic features. Key scenic spots include Wulao Peak, Sandiequan, Hanpokou, Lulin Lake, and Donglin Temple. A horst-block mountain, it boasts rugged exteriors and beautiful interiors, with a forest coverage rate of 76.6%.
4954 recommendations, 3487 visits
Pre-trip preparation
transportation
Take the high-speed rail to Jiujiang Station. Jiujiang Station is very close to Lushan and can be reached by bus. You can also find a driver from Jiujiang who will take you to Lushan for 10 yuan.
stay
If you go up the mountain on the first day, you can stay there directly. There is a small town called Guling Town on the top of Lushan Mountain, where there are many hotels.
Tickets
The entrance fee is 160 yuan. We came during the off-season. The bus ticket is 80 yuan, including 70 yuan for the scenic area sightseeing bus and 20 yuan for going up and down the mountain. You must buy the sightseeing bus ticket because the scenic areas of Lushan are far from each other, so it is necessary to take the bus.
If you are done with the fun, you can get off the bus directly at Guling Town on the top of the mountain and go to Jiujiang. You don't need to buy a 10 yuan ticket. If you want to save money, you can take a bus to Jiujiang City at the North Gate after going down the mountain. You usually need to transfer and the fare is 2 yuan.
route
The Lushan Scenic Area is divided into two tour routes: the East Route and the West Route. Sightseeing bus stops are located along the highways to each scenic spot, allowing you to freely choose recommended attractions and take a sightseeing bus for a stop-by-stop tour based on your time and physical fitness.
Day 1: Wulao Peak - Sandiequan
Day 2: Hanpokou - Meilu Villa - Lushan Conference Site - Lushan Museum - Ruqin Lake - Huanglong Temple - Sanbao Tree - Huanglong Pond - Lushan Dam
Day 3: Flower Path – Jinxiu Valley – Fairy Cave – Imperial Monument Pavilion – Tianchi Lake – Longshou Cliff – Lushan Suspension Bridge – Lushan Dam
China-TravelNote similar routes:
Essential Lushan Go Play
Guling Town
Guling Town, a hidden paradise amidst the sea of clouds at Mount Lushan, is a transliteration of "cooling" (cooling). Home to over 600 colorful villas, it was built by Westerners over a century ago. With an average summer temperature of 22°C, Mount Lushan is a popular summer resort. Chiang Kai-shek once made it the "summer capital" of the Nationalist government. The most famous villa is Meilu Villa, where Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling spent more than a dozen summers.
Wulao Peak
Wulao Peak is located on the southeast side of Mount Lushan, with an altitude of 1,436 meters. It consists of five parallel peaks, which look like five old men sitting on the ground when you look up at them. Therefore, people call these five peaks, which originally came from one mountain, the "Wulao Peak".
Li Bai climbed Wulao Peak many times and left behind the poem "Wulao Peak in the southeast of Lushan Mountain, where golden lotus is carved out of the blue sky. The beautiful scenery of Jiujiang can be seen, and I will build a nest in the clouds and pines here."
San Diequan
San Diequan (Three-Tier Spring): "If you haven't visited San Diequan, you haven't visited Mount Lushan!" is a household slogan. San Diequan is a landmark attraction on Mount Lushan, stretching 2.8 kilometers with a drop of 155 meters. The steps from the summit to San Diequan are incredibly steep, reportedly 5,000 to 6,000 steps, with the slope exceeding 70 degrees in some places. You can take the cable car up the mountain, but this is a separate fee, and there are sedan chair bearers along the way, costing over 1,000 yuan.
After descending a few hundred steps, you can hear the roar of the waterfall, the cascading water cascading down from the sky with a thunderous roar, and deeply experience the magnificent scenery of "a waterfall plunging three thousand feet, as if the Yellow River falls from the sky." The water is crystal clear, flowing into a turquoise pool. On clear days, the mist reflects the sunlight and creates a beautiful rainbow.
Tips:
1. It usually takes several hours to climb Wulao Peak and San Diequan. It is recommended to spend half a day to visit each.
2. Overnight accommodation will be arranged at a B&B in Kuling Town.
The B&B is located on a hill in the town, offering panoramic views of the clouds. The area is well-equipped with shops and public facilities, including a post office, bank, tourist center, hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and more. There's also a theater that regularly screens "Lush Mountain Love."
Sunrise at Hanpokou
Hanpokou is located at a pass in the Hanpo Mountains in southeastern China, at an altitude of 1,286 meters. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing a lake on one side, the three peaks, joined together, resemble a gaping maw, eager to drink the waters of Poyang, hence the name Hanpokou. Hanpokou is also one of the nine best sunrise viewing spots in China, with the Hanpo Pavilion being the best spot. Climbing the Hanpo Pavilion, one can gaze out over the vast expanse of lakes and mountains.
Tips:
1. It costs about 50 yuan to take a taxi from Guling Town to Hanpokou before sunrise. You need to contact the taxi one day in advance.
2. The sunrise will be blocked by the mountain in March and April, while it will be right next to the mountain in July and August.
3. The four peaks of Wulao Peak are also suitable for watching the sunrise, but because the distance is long, it costs 100 yuan to rent a car, and you have to get up around 3 o'clock in the morning to climb the mountain. You can choose to camp on the mountain a day in advance.
Lushan Conference Center
Mount Lushan is not only beautiful but also a symbol of social, political, and cultural heritage, making it a renowned political mountain. Its exceptionally cool climate and abundant resources have provided a comfortable living environment and a prime venue for dignitaries. Throughout history, numerous prominent figures have ascended Mount Lushan, and several significant conferences have been held there in modern history.
The three important meetings held by the CPC Central Committee in Lushan made the Lushan Grand Auditorium, a building that combines Chinese and Western styles, attract attention from both China and abroad.
Lushan Museum
Located on the shores of Lulin Lake, this villa, also known as Lulin No. 1 Villa, was once home to Chairman Mao. It was later converted into the Lushan Museum. The museum displays many art treasures, including items from Chairman Mao's life that have been preserved to this day.
Meilu Villa
Meilu Villa is adjacent to Chiang Kai-shek's villa, named after the "Mei" in Soong Mei-ling's name. This solid wood villa has two main floors and a one-story annex. The living room, bathroom, and bedroom have all been preserved in their original glory. Chairman Mao stayed here three times during his visits to Lushan, making Meilu the only villa to have been inhabited by top leaders of both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.
Lulin Lake
Chairman Mao swam in Lulin Lake many times during his lifetime. At the bridgehead stands the Mao Zedong Poetry Stele Park, built in 1993, inscribed with poems such as "Climbing Mount Lushan." This is also the spot where the protagonists of the film "Love at Lushan" met, swam, and embraced.
Going down from the opposite side of Lulin Lake is the route from Donglin Temple to the power station dam. This route is all the way down and is not very tiring. Here you will see the Three Treasures Tree and Huanglongtan and other attractions.
Flower Path
Located on the bank of Ruqin Lake, it is said that when Bai Juyi visited Mount Lu in Jiangzhou, he saw peach blossoms in full bloom here. In his poem "Peach Blossoms at Dalin Temple", he wrote, "The flowers of April on earth are gone, and the peach blossoms at the mountain temple are in full bloom." Therefore, later generations called this place "Hua Jing" and built Bai Juyi's Thatched Cottage.
Jinxiu Valley Skybridge
At 2,500 meters, the Sky Bridge is located at the entrance to the mountain gorge. Actually, the Sky Bridge isn't a bridge, but rather a massive rock formation. From certain angles, it resembles a broken bridge suspended above a cliff. Jinxiu Valley connects to the Sky Bridge Cliff Valley, where the strangely stacked rocks contrast with the cliffs on the opposite side, creating a perfect backdrop for creative, distorted photos.
Immortal Cave
Descending from Jinxiu Valley, you'll reach Xianren Cave, which is said to be the place where Lü Dongbin cultivated his immortality. Just outside Xianren Cave, a toad-shaped boulder overhangs the valley. This cave is a natural formation formed by the sand cliffs. The natural process of weathering and the erosion of the mountains and rivers gradually formed this cave. Chairman Mao's poem, "Nature has created an immortal cave; the boundless scenery lies on the dangerous peaks," refers to this cave. Xianren Cave truly is a massive rock cave where immortals are enshrined.
From Huajing - Jinxiu Valley - Xianren Cave - Tianchi, there are many small attractions on the way, where you can see steep mountains and play with wild macaques.
Royal Stele Pavilion
The Imperial Stele Pavilion was built by Zhu Yuanzhang to commemorate Zhou Dian.
Datianchi
The Big Tianchi is actually two small pools, and is quite different from the Tianchi in Changbai Mountain or Xinjiang. Originally a pond for releasing animals at Tianchi Temple, it is now a spiritual pond for praying, and it is said that the water here never dries up year-round.
Round Buddha Hall
The Round Buddha Hall belongs to the Datianchi Scenic Area, but it is not actually a historical site. In the mid-1920s, Tang Shengzhi, a former general of the Kuomintang Army, took a fancy to the feng shui here and built it to bury his vegetarian mother who chanted Buddhist scriptures.
To the west is a half-moon-shaped moon-worshiping platform named Wenshu Terrace, which is a two-story stone and wood structure. The lower floor is a five-bay stone chamber with doors and windows, which can be used as a living room.
A pavilion in Taitung, known as the Doumu Pavilion or the Old Mother Pavilion, was built during the Ming Dynasty. It features a stone-concrete structure with a round, pointed roof. The horizontal plaque bears the inscription "Xiangwang Zuting" (Ancestral Temple). The pillars are inscribed with a couplet in official script: "The remaining ashes of the pavilion remain, the solemn Dharma remains, the Buddha's seat remains; the fragrance of petals stands in danger, the new pavilion structure protects the immortal box."
Overlooking the Grand Canyon in the distance from Longshou Cliff, you will find it long and profound, with a very broad view, making it perfect for shooting blockbuster movies.
Conclusion
This trip to Mount Lu also gave me a new appreciation for the mountain. Numerous stories of mountain hermits and those seeking leisure were born with Mount Lu as their backdrop... Bai Juyi's "The Peach Blossoms Begin to Bloom in the Mountain Temple"; Lü Dongbin's immortal cave; Tao Yuanming's many poems about mountain seclusion; and the first Chinese film kiss in "Lushan Love"... All these legendary and romantic moments remain etched in my memory.
