Heritage: Lu Shan

Historic villas, forest trails and cool mountain peaks have been drawing people to this mountain hideaway for more than 100 years. The misty clouds blanket the lush forests and provide a mystical scene.

The peaks of Lu Shan in northern Jiangxi Province have long been a magnet for the spiritual, the rich and famous, the learned and powerful. Although wet, cold and misty for more than 200 days, Lu Shan’s wooded slopes offer cool repose for those escaping the summer heat in the ancient city of Jiujiang in the south and the lowland valley areas of Yangtze River in the north.

Once you set eyes on the scenic landscape of Lu Shan, you will understand why people keep coming back. Of the some 99 peaks, Dahanyang Peak (dàhànyáng fēng 大汉阳峰) stands tallest at 1,474m. Peaks aside, there are gorges, waterfalls, overhanging cliffs, lakes, verdant forests and amazing bird life. No wonder eminent poets of every dynasty have eulogized the natural beauty of Lu Shan.

Lu Shan’s famous summer resort boasts beautiful late 19th century colonial villas, the private retreats of European merchants and Christian missionaries who made the mountain their summer home. At one time there were about 2,000 such residences, and some of China’s most powerful landowners and political figures including Chiang Kai-shek, made Lu Shan their summer abode.

The mansions are concentrated in the mountain town of Guling, located in Lu Shan Park (lú shān gōngyuán 庐山公园). From June through September, thousands of tourists flock to these architectural abodes to catch a glimpse of a bygone era.

One picturesque route is the Brocade Valley’s (jǐnxiù gǔ 锦绣谷) 1.6km trail on the southeast bank of Zither Lake (rúqín hú 如琴湖), which is shaped like the harp-like musical instrument. This steep, narrow path, no more than shoulder wide, is hugged by peaks and valleys, all of which paints such moving scenery that it inspired the brushes of landscape artists for centuries.

This trail, famed for its 99 bends, boasts the Immortal Cave (xiānrén dòng仙人洞) – a rock chamber on the edge of a precipice, within which bubbles a natural spring. Taoist priests transformed this remote cave into their temple, replete with a huge stone shrine, altars and scriptures carved onto the rocky walls. Legend has it that Lü Dongbin, one of the eight Taoist immortals, was granted a sword by a fire-breathing dragon here. With this celestial weapon, he vanquished all demons and became immortal.

Apart from Taoism, Buddhism also left its mark on Lu Shan, which became the epicenter of Buddhism in China at the time of the Eastern Han dynasty. A major temple that survived the Cultural Revolution is the Temple of Eastern Grove (dōnglín sì东林寺) founded by Huiyuan in AD 391. His influential teachings eventually spread to Japan. Over 300 Buddhist and Taoist temples remain scattered on Lu Shan’s slopes, as well as several churches and mosques. These flourished as a result of the steady influx of foreigners and missionaries.

During the Song dynasty, a prolific Neo-Confucian scholar founded the Bailu Dong Academy (báilùdòng shūyuàn 白麓洞书院) at Wulao Peak on top the ground of an older complex. Here students listened to lectures given by the master who introduced metaphysical aspects to the Confucian ethical discourse.

At Lu Shan, each manmade pagoda, temple, pavilion or monument has rich historical and cultural resonance, but nature has also left a beautiful gift at the foot of the mountain, Poyang Lake (póyáng hú 鄱阳湖). The biggest freshwater lake in China, Poyang’s extensive surface is littered with thousands of boats and hosts one of the most notable migratory bird reserves in China. Since 1996, Lu Shan has ranked amongst UNESCO’s prestigious list of World Heritage Sites.

COOLING GULING

Perched at 1,167m and ringed by mountains, Guling Town (gǔlǐng zhèn牯岭镇), better known to Westerners as “Kuling” for its “cooling” climate, is a convenient place to start any excursion.

Exploring by foot is easy within Guling. Start off with the European-styled villas, which used to be summer rest-stations for the large foreign summer community. Englishman E.L. Little was the first to set up the summer resort in 1895, and though the inhabitants are long gone, the colonial houses are architectural, cultural and historical repositories. Some have evolved into museums and others into guesthouses.

Meilu Villa (měilú biéshù美庐别墅) is a must-see cultural relic. Built in 1903, the summer home was a gift to China’s power couple: Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Song Meiling. The now-crumbling villa, named after her, is on the main sightseeing stretch of road along Hexi Lu on Hedong Lu, just southwest of central Guling. The paint is peeled and the garden grounds are in disarray, but several historical mementos still pepper the mansion’s interiors. Decorated by paintings done by the former First Lady herself, her lavish bedroom remains unchanged and also contains pictures of the couple.

A stone’s throw away is People’s Hall (rénmín jùyuàn人民剧院) now converted into a museum. Also known as Lu Shan Conference Site (lúshān huìyì huìzhǐ庐山会议会址), it was at meetings here in 1959 and 1970 that Chairman Mao changed the course of China’s history.

Between Guling and Embracing Lake Poyang Archway is Lulin Lake (lúlín hú芦林湖), which is a good place to start excursions to Three Ancient Trees (sānbǎo shù三宝树) and the Yellow and Black Dragon Pools (huánglóng tán黄龙潭, wūlóng tán乌龙潭) and its five gorgeous waterfalls. Follow the cement paths for a pleasant daylong hike.

Beside the lake is the Former Residence of Mao Zedong (Máo Zédōng gùjū毛泽东故居), which houses the Lu Shan Museum (lúshān bówùguǎn庐山博物馆). Religion, geography, Communist and natural history can all be found under one roof. You can find archival pictures of visiting dignitaries as well as an educational collection of impaled insects. East of the museum is the Monument of Mao Zedong’s Poems (Máo Zédōng sībēi yuán毛泽东诗碑园), where Mao’s own composition and favorite verses are inscribed on huge slabs of granite.

East of the museum is the Botanical Gardens (zhíwù yuán植物园), which has a staggering 3,000 native alpine and tropical flora specimens on exhibit. South of the Botanical Gardens, a short taxi ride away, is Embracing Lake Poyang Archway (hánpókǒu含鄱口), where you can catch the sun rising over Poyang Lake and southern Yangtze Valley. The sun rises at 5am in the summer and 7am in the winter.

You can also strike out on your own for a 3-hour hike towards Sandiequan Falls (sāndiéquán pùbù 三叠泉瀑布), where savage rapids literally cascade into clouds of mists. These famous falls are on the southeastern slope of the mountain and are considered one of Lu Shan’s most majestic sights. The falls measure 215m high and cascade down three levels. The falls have attracted their share of ancient poets, some of whom have left their poems carved into the rock. Like stepping into a landscape painting, the gnarled pine trees, craggy rocks and perilous peaks have all served as a natural Muse, especially during the sunrise and sunsets. Due to the popularity of the falls, be prepared to jostle enthusiastic tour groups along steep paths for a piece of the fantastic view.

Xiu Peak (xiùfēng秀峰) is located in an area of Lu Shan called “shan nan”. During the 10th century the Kaixian Temple was built here. In 1707, Qing emperor Kangxi gave the temple a visit and gave the temple its present name, Xiufeng Temple (xiùfēng sì秀峰寺). The scenery around the temple, like throughout Lu Shan, is gorgeous.