Lushan West Sea

Lushan Wonders

Lushan Mountain (Mount Lu)

No trip to Jiangxi is complete without visiting Mount Lu. Lushan's natural scenic areas are mostly concentrated on the southern slopes, hence the saying “Lushan's beauty lies in its south.” However, the southern sights are spread out and the routes are challenging. The cultural attractions clustered around Guling Town each have a legend or a piece of history behind them.

Off-season ¥135; peak season ¥160 · 1–2 days

Xiufeng Scenic Area

As the saying goes: “The beauty of Mount Lu lies in its south, and the beauty of the south lies in Xiufeng.” In Xiufeng Scenic Area, the peaks, emerald ridges and jade-green pools, along with its waterfalls, gorges and temples, all display a distinctive charm, so lovely that one could “eat the scenery.” The Xiufeng Temple, with its inscription by the Kangxi Emperor, bears witness to this.

¥63 · 2–4 hours

Lulin Lake

Lulin Lake is ringed by mountains draped in lush pines and cypresses. Its water is clear as a mirror, and the reflected peaks blend with drifting clouds and mist, so the lake looks like a divine lake fallen from the sky. Nearby stand palatial buildings such as the Mount Lu Museum, Mount Lu Hotel and People's Theatre.

Included in the Mount Lu entrance ticket · 1–2 hours

Shimenjian Scenic Area

The earliest waterfall recorded in Lushan's historical annals is the Shimenjian Waterfall. As early as over 2,000 years ago, Ban Gu's *Treatise on Geography* in the *Book of the Later Han* recorded: “To the southwest of Lushan stand twin gate-towers, sheer cliffs rising more than a thousand *ren* high, and a waterfall flows there.” Shimenjian faces the cliffs across the ravine, forming towering gates and walls. At its narrowest point, the “Little Stone Gate,” only a crack separates the two cliffs, so visitors must turn sideways to pass through the “gate.” In the glen, high cliffs pour out waterfalls, and deep valleys collect water into pools. Submerged jagged rocks and towering boulders standing in the stream are arranged along the gorge to form “stone platforms.” The largest smooth boulder can seat dozens of people, and the characters “Shimenjian” are carved on it. Beyond the big boulder, the gorge grows steeper and narrower, like swords thrust into the sky, each peak vying for beauty. In this great fault, Mast Peak and Tongzi Cliff rise straight from the ravine floor, standing just a short distance apart, surrounded by a cluster of peaks.

¥52 · 2–3 hours

White Deer Grotto Academy

Among Mount Lu’s many attractions, the White Deer Grotto Academy, rebuilt and expanded by the great scholar Zhu Xi, is the easiest to overlook. Yet for any Chinese, the academy is a deeply significant place. It ranks first among China’s Four Great Academies. Apart from the Yuelu Academy in Hunan, it is the only one of these academies to have survived and been well preserved, and it is the White Deer Grotto in Jiangxi.

¥40 · 1–2 hours