Mount Lu

Mountain Lu or Lushan (, Gan: Lu-san), officially named Mountain Lu National Park, is a mountain in China. It was also known as Kuanglu () in ancient times. It is situated in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, and is one of the most renowned mountains in the country. Mount Lu is located primarily in Lushan county-level city in Jiujiang Prefecture, although the northern portions are found in Lianxi District which was formerly known as Lushan District and until 2016 covered the majority of the Mount Lu. The oval-shaped mountains are about long and wide, and neighbors Jiujiang city and the Yangtze River to the north, Nanchang city to the south, and Poyang Lake to the east. Its highest point is Dahanyang Peak (), reaching above sea level, and is one of the hundreds of steep peaks that towers above a sea of clouds that encompass the mountains for almost 200 days out of the year.

Mount Lu is known for its grandeur, steepness, and beauty and a prominent tourist attraction, especially during the summer months when the weather is cooler in the mountains than elsewhere. The mountain and the surrounding region is one of the "spiritual centers" of China, containing many Buddhist and Taoist temples in addition to landmarks of Confucianism. Because of its striking beauty and sacred importance, Lushan National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The overlapping Lushan Quaternary Glaciation National Geopark is a member of UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

History

Lushan contains important sites and temples for Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Between AD 386 and 402 during the Jin dynasty, Huiyuan founded Pure Land Buddhism and Donglin Temple on the slopes of Lushan. During the Tang dynasty (618–907), Taoist temples were constructed nearby to house sacred scriptures. The White Deer Grotto Academy, founded in AD 940, developed into a renowned center of academic research during the Song dynasty under the direction of Confucian scholar Zhu Xi. The academy was continually open until at least the 19th century. Other important medieval structures on the mountain include the grave of the famous Tang dynasty poet Tao Yuanming and imperial pavilions during the Ming dynasty.

In later years, Lushan was a summer resort for Western missionaries in China. Absalom Sydenstricker, the father of Pearl Buck, was one of the first five missionaries to acquire property in the Kuling Estate on the mountain. The development of Kuling was instigated by the Reverend Edward Little and Dr. Edgerton H. Hart. The four principal founders of the China's Nurses Association and its first president, Caroline Maddock Hart; met in Kuling to form this association.

During the Long March, in early 1935, a battle took place in this area between communist and republican forces, in which Hu Yaobang, later General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, was seriously injured.

Mount Lu was once dubbed the ''hsiatu'' (''xiadu'', "summer capital") of the Republic of China. Chiang Kai-shek, China's leader at the time, would frequently spend his summers here. In June 1937, Zhou Enlai, then a major leader in the Communist Party, met with Chiang on the mountain to discuss a united front against the Japanese invasion. In July 1937, Chiang Kai-shek announced his intention for a full mobilization for war against Japan from Mount Lu. In 1946, following the war, the U.S. special diplomatic mission led by General George C. Marshall met with Chiang Kai-Shek to discuss the role of post-World War II China.

Mao Zedong convened three large conferences of senior party officials at Mount Lu, in 1959, 1961, and 1970. The 1959 conference became known as the Lushan Conference. The meeting saw the purge of decorated Chinese Civil War and Korean War general Peng Dehuai, who was critical of Mao's Great Leap Forward policies. The 1970 Lushan Conference took place during the Cultural Revolution, and marked the increasing antagonism between those loyal to Mao and those loyal to his chosen successor Lin Biao.

Attractions and features

Popular attractions in Mount Lu include the Immortal Caverns (), Meilu Outhouse (), Five Old Man Peaks (), White Deer Cavern Academy (), Three Tiled Springs (), Luling Lake (), Lushan Hot Springs (), Botanical Gardens (), the Bamboo Temple (), Guanyin Bridge (), Peach Blossom Garden (), Catholic Church of Mount Lu (), and many more.

* The ''Lushan Botanical Gardens'' features tens of thousands of plant species.
* Below the ''Five Old Men Peak'' is the ''White Deer Grotto Academy'', named after the poet Li Bo () (not to be confused with the famous poet Li Bai), who raised white deer there. It is one of the most famous higher learning institutions in ancient China.
* West is the ''Flower Path'' which provided inspiration to Bai Juyi, a famous poet who lived during the Tang dynasty.
* Between the Yangtze River and Lake Poyang lie the Greater and Lesser Tianchi Lakes, the Jingxiu Valley, and Lulin Lake. On the north bank of the latter is the ''Lushan Museum'', which features pottery and bronzes dating from various periods of ancient China, as well as calligraphy from the Tang dynasty and paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
* At the centre (between three peaks), and at an altitude of over 1 kilometer above sea level, is the town of Guling, which is linked by a mountain highway to neighboring spots in the region.
* World-famous Lushan Clouds and Mist Tea () is grown in the mountains.

Gallery

File:Lushan Mountain Celetial Cave.JPG, Mountain Immortals Cave
File:庐山礼拜堂.jpg, Old church
File:芦林湖.JPG, Lake Lulin
File:庐山东林寺大雄宝殿.JPG, Donglin temple
File:白鹿洞书院五院之一.JPG, White Deer Grotte Academy
File:Lofty Mt.Lu by Shen Zhou.jpg, ''Lofty Mount Lu'' by Shen Zhou, 1467
File:Mount Lushan - fog.JPG, The small peaks of the mountain range can be climbed by visitors.
File:庐山景区 三叠泉附近山景 02.jpg, Mountain scenery near Sandie spring in Lushan Scenic Area
File:庐山三叠泉.JPG
File:庐山西海风光 - panoramio (9).jpg, Lushan west sea scenery

Climate

References

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Lu
Lushan
World Heritage Sites in China
Landforms of Jiangxi
Tourist attractions in Jiangxi
AAAAA-rated tourist attractions