Lushan Mountain (Mount Lu) travel guide

There are two routes to Lushan. The first is to fly or travel to Nanchang first, then take a bus. As the capital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang not only has civil aviation links with many cities across the country, but is also an important road and rail hub in East China (see the Nanchang section).

The second route is via Jiujiang. Jiujiang is the only intersection of the Beijing–Kowloon Railway and the Yangtze River, and it sits on the golden waterway of the middle and lower Yangtze, so water and land transport are both very convenient. You can travel by water into Jiangxi, then transfer to a bus from Jiujiang to Lushan.

Lushan taxis generally do not run meters. The starting fare is ¥5 for locals and ¥10 for visitors, so learn the approximate distance of your journey in advance to help you bargain. Never take unlicensed taxis up the mountain.

If you drive up Lushan, you can park at the Yuanmen car park at the north gate (North Mountain Road) or the Lulin car park (South Mountain Road), then transfer to scenic-area sightseeing shuttles. If you drive into the scenic area, you will pay an extra ¥45 parking fee on top of the entrance ticket.

1. Most vehicles climb the mountain via the North Mountain (Beishan) road, in the direction of Jiujiang.

2. All vehicles bound for Mount Lu stop at Guling Street (Main Street).

3. The ticket office at the Beishan park gate is 3 km from Guling Street. Buy your ticket and get on the mountain as soon as possible. Vehicles wait briefly on the right side of the road just inside the mountain gate, so board promptly, as the bus will not wait.

4. Fares differ for going up and coming down: ¥10 for the descent and ¥15 for the ascent.

The nearest airport to Mount Lu is in Chaisang District, about 9.8 km away. It currently has flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Haikou, Shenzhen, Xiamen and other cities. Airport shuttle buses run to Lushan City. If you miss the shuttle, you can take a bus from Huanglaomen to Shahe (Mount Lu). We recommend flying in and taking a taxi straight up the mountain, which costs ¥120–150. Be sure to negotiate the price in advance.

Mount Lu Railway Station is really just a station in Chaisang District at the foot of the mountain. It mainly serves through trains and is not very convenient for getting up the mountain. If you travel by train, we recommend getting off at Jiujiang Station, which offers easier access to Mount Lu.

Mount Lu is an important stop on the Changjiu Intercity High-Speed Railway. Whether you travel from Nanchang to Jiujiang Station or go directly to Mount Lu Station, the journey is very convenient.

Jiujiang to Mount Lu is 41 km, and the fare ranges from ¥12 to ¥15. The final stop is Guling Town. A minibus from Nanchang to Mount Lu costs ¥36 and runs along National Highway 105, serving Chaisang District, Gongqingcheng, Yongxiu County and the Peach Blossom Spring scenic area in Lushan City. Other counties, districts and townships can be reached via provincial highways.

Nearly 20 Yangtze River liners stop at Jiujiang Port each day. From the passenger terminal, take a sightseeing minibus to reach Mount Lu.

Mount Lu is a widely dispersed scenic area centred on Guling Town, so getting around on the mountain can be a major challenge during your trip. Within Lianxi District, there are fixed-route sightseeing buses, as well as minibuses, taxis and chartered tour vehicles. Because fixed-route sightseeing buses follow set routes and there are relatively few of them, many visitors prefer minibuses or taxis. Minibuses are the cheapest option, while taxis cost considerably more.

Option 1: From Jiujiang Railway Station, take bus No. 36 or 66 to the Jiujiang Long-Distance Bus Station, then board a coach there. Coaches run about once every 1.5 hours and cost ¥8–15.

Option 2: Outside Jiujiang Railway Station, take a bus to the foot of the Changhong Interchange. At the entrance of Yangguang No. 1 Leisure Hotel, board a Quanshun minibus, which runs daily from 6:30 to 18:00. The fare is ¥15 and the bus goes directly to Guling.

Option 3: From the Jiujiang Long-Distance Bus Station, you can take a taxi directly to Mount Lu for about ¥80. Agree on the price with the driver in advance.

Option 4: About 50 metres from the exit of Jiujiang Railway Station is the Jiujiang branch of China International Travel Service (CITS). Individual travellers can ride a travel agency vehicle up Mount Lu for ¥15.

It is worth noting that you should avoid unlicensed (black) taxis outside the railway station. Alternatively, walk out of the station and flag down a taxi on the road, asking to be taken directly to Guling Street or to a hotel on the mountain.

Anyone who has visited Mount Lu will remember not only its stunning scenery but also its delicious food, especially the local specialty known as the “Three Stones and One Tea”: Mount Lu stone chicken, Mount Lu stone fish, Mount Lu stone ear (a type of fungus) and Mount Lu cloud-mist tea.

Beyond the “Three Stones and One Tea”, be sure to try the Mount Lu snacks, including stir-fried shrimp, braised pork with fermented black beans, stir-fried chilli with fermented black beans, dried shrimp rice cakes, yam stewed with pork, coin-shaped yam cakes and chicken braised with chestnuts.

Aged sealed-jar rice wine, Jiujiang tea cakes, crispy sugar candy, fresh Mount Lu bamboo shoots, Hukou fermented black beans, Poyang Lake whitebait and cloud-mist tea.

As a scenic destination and summer resort, Mount Lu has long had a well-developed hotel industry, and room rates can be steep. Mount Lu Hotel is the finest hotel on the mountain. Student travellers are advised to stay in school guesthouses.

Some taxi drivers take tourists to pricier hotels because they receive kickbacks for doing so. If you'd rather avoid expensive hotels, ask to get out at Jiexin Park (街心公园), where there are private homes, inns and guesthouses.

Lushan Yunwu tea (庐山云雾茶) is worth bringing home, but you'll need some discernment when buying tea.