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Mount Lushan towers above Poyang Lake five kilometers south of Jiujiang in northern Jiangxi Province. The grandeur of its peaks, its beautiful landscapes, and its mild climate make the 1,474-meter-high mountain one of China?s most famed summer resorts and tourist attractions. Visitors will find imposing peaks, magnificent waterfalls, weird caves, beautiful lakes, sheer precipices, and ever-changing clouds. Writings about the mountain are plenty as poets and writers of various times have been inspired to extol the mountain?s charm.
The town of Guling, the center of Lushan, can be approached by two highways starting at the foot of the mountain. All the major scenic spots on the mountain are reached and connected by highways.
Flower Path (Huajing)
This park is said to be where the distinguished Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi (772-846) once recited poems to eulogize the beautiful peach blossoms. Here, flowers, grass, and trees form a backdrop for a stone tablet in a pavilion inscribed with the characters ?Hua Jing,? believed to be in the calligraphy of Bai Juyi.
Immortal?s Cavern (Xianrendong)
An immortal is said to have inhabited this cave, which is over ten meters in both height and depth. A stone statue of the immortal stands in side the cave and a spring trickles all the year round.
Small Heavenly Lake (Xiaotianchi)
Lying more than 1,200 meters above sea level, this spring-fed lake is a favored spot for viewing sunrises and sunsets.
Big Heavenly Lake (Daitianchi)
So called because it is bigger than Small Heavenly Lake. This lake is aid to have been dug by hand out of the rocks by an immortal. A temple was built here in the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and the inscription ?Big Heavenly Lake Temple ? is still visible above its gate.
Dragon Head Cliff (Longshouya)
This cliff has been described poetically as a dragon ready to leap into the sky. Below the cliff is a forest of grotesque rocks with extraordinary pines growing from their crevices. Standing at the top can be a heady experience. So many monks used to jump off the cliff to fulfill their aspirations to become immortals that it is also called Self-Sacrifice Cliff (Sheshenya)
Hanpo Pass
From this mountain pass overlooking the vast and misty Poyang Lake, visitors can see the junk-dotted lake blending with the sky and the towering Hanyang and Litoujian peaks shrouded in clouds and mist ? an unforgettable landscape of lake and mountain.
Three Precious Trees (Sanbaoshu) and Dragon Pools (Longtan)
The three trees, one gingko and two Chinese cryptomerias, are all over five hundred yeara old. Beside them is a rock called Xianglongshi, meaning ?subduing dragons.? The two pools are called Yellow Dragon Pool (Huanglongtan) and Black Dragon Pool (Wulongtan). According to legend, there was a dragon living in each pool, and they used to fight each other, playing havoc with trees and flowers, until eventually they were subdued by monks.
Five Elderly Men Peaks (Wulaofeng)
Rising 1,358 meters above sea level, the peaks resemble five healthy men, hence the name. Near the top there is a cave called Five Elderly Men Cave (Wulaodong). The peaks also are known for the sturdy and strange-looking Lushan Pines.
Three-stage Spring (Sandiequan)
The three stages are formed by spring water flowing down two huge rocks and it is called the ?first wonder of Lushan.? A saying goes that ?a visit to Lushan doesn?t count if you don?t see the Three-stage Spring. ? The beauty of the thunderous fall was a favorite subject for many ancient poets and scholars.
Hanyang Peak
Rising, 1,474 meters above sea level, Hanyang is the highest peak of Lushan. It is so named because when the weather is fine, people from here can see the lights of the triple city of Wuhan, of which Hanyang is a component.
Lushan Botanical Garden
Established in 1934, this is the only sub alpine botanical garden in China. It covers 290 hectares and contains some 3,400 species of rare plants cultivated in eleven display areas according to their communities and ecosystems.
(china.org.cn)
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