chinesegeography

Lushan National Park (UNESCO cultural heritage site since 1996)    

 

 

 

Mount Lushan in northern Jiangxi Province, with an area of 302 sq km, features Quaternary glacier topography with rivers, lakes and peaks, and is known as a "geological park." Rich in biological resources, the mountain area boasts a complete ecological system.

  

In 391 Hui Yuan, a Buddhist leader, built Donglin (Eastern Grove) Temple here, which later became a Buddhist center for the whole of South China. A Taoist priest named Lu Xiujing established the Taoist.

 

Nanrianshi School on the mountain in the fifth century, and Ma Zudao established the Linji and Weiyang sects of Taoism here during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, Islamic, Catholic and Protestant places of worship were established on Mount Lushan.

 

 

 

Mount Lushan is in the southeast of Jiangxi Province, faing the Yangtze River to the north and Lake Poyang (the largest freshwater lake in China) to the east. More than 1,474 m above the sea level. Mount Lushan features 16 natural wonders and 474 scenic spots. Known as "the most beautiful mountain under heaven," Mount Lushan is one of the best summer resorts in China. People like to enjoy its three wonders: the cloud sea, the waterfalls and the craggy cliffs. Because of the surrounding water, Mount Lushan has rainy and humid weather. As a result, much of the scenery involves water: there are 22 waterfalls, 18 rapid rivulets, 14 lakes and ponds. For visitors Mount Lushan is also one of the nine best spots for watching sunrise in China. Mount Lushan is also historically and culturally famous. Numerous famous persons in the past 2,000 years have visited Mount Lushan and left many beautiful poems and paintings. The Academy of the White Deer Cave, one of the oldest institutions for higher learning in China, has been there for more than 10 centuries mind and spirit.