The essence of Moganshan, one of China's four great summer retreats, lies in its "slowness."

This renowned Jiangnan mountain, hailed by The New York Times as one of "45 Places to Go in a Lifetime" and listed by CNN among "15 Unique Chinese Experiences Beyond the Great Wall," begins its story with a 2,500-year-old sword-forging legend while concealing half of modern Chinese history within its whispering bamboo forests.

Winding up the mountain road, the tales of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling unfold between Songyue Villa in Wuling Village and Baiyun Mountain Villa—from their first summer honeymoon in 1928 to their final stay during the 1948 gold yuan reform meetings. The couple resided here three times, gazing at bamboo seas through Songyue Villa's carved windows and negotiating the Second United Front with Zhou Enlai beneath Baiyun Mountain Villa's pillars. Chairman Mao Zedong's 1954 visit inspired his poem "Seven-Character Quatrain," where "peaks merge with vast wilderness," forever infusing Moganshan's greenery with poetic statesmanship.

🏠 Must-Visit Historic Villas:
1️⃣ Empress Hotel (Mao Zedong's Residence)
History: Where Mao revised China's 1954 Constitution; now features themed exhibits recreating his office.
2️⃣ Wuling Village·Songyue Villa (Chiang Kai-shek's Residence)
History: Site of 1948's gold yuan reform; complex includes Chiang Ching-kuo's "Mountain-Sea Tower."
3️⃣ Baiyun Mountain Villa
History: Venue for 1937's Second KMT-CCP negotiations between Zhou Enlai and Chiang; built by Huang Fu amidst perpetual mist.
4️⃣ Moganshan Conference Site
History: Hosted the pivotal 1984 economic reform summit; features European chapel architecture.

Over 250 century-old villas stand as frozen epics: Gothic-spired Jingyi Villa once housed Du Yuesheng, Japanese-style Meiyuan witnessed Huang Fu's rural reforms, and the ruins of Naked Castle originated as a 1910 Scottish-style chapel. Dubbed a "Modern World Architecture Museum," these structures narrate East-West cultural collisions through bamboo groves.

🍃 Lost in Vast Bamboo Seas
Summer brings 25°C mountain breezes scented with bamboo. Twelve kilometers of trails wind through East China's largest moso forest, while 720m-high Tashan Peak offers cloud-sea vistas straight from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's ink-wash landscapes.
Ticket🎫: Park entry + shuttle ¥150

Post by JonasLarsen | Aug 9, 2025