Lushan Mountain is an important national scenic and summer resort. In 1996 it was endorsed as world cultural heritage site. Towering over Yangtze River in the south of Jiujiang on one side, and Poyang Lake on another, the mountain is linked with Nanchang by a 100-km expressway. Since ancient times Lushan has been frequented by famous men of letters, who have left a wealth of cultural heritage.
Altogether there are 474 scenic spots in 12 scenic areas. The beauty of Lushan Mountain is attributed to its exotic peaks and mysterious caves, cascading waterfalls and gurgling springs, ancient temples and stele forest, and buildings that seem to be suspended in midair. "The waterfalls of Lushan is famous under heaven", as one saying goes.
"The beauty of Lushan is unmatched under heaven," goes another. It is a religious sanctuary, as well as a centre of education, culture and politics. China's first subtropical mountain botanical garden was built there. In the 1920s, Lushan became the summering centre of the ruling Kuomintang Party, which left quite a few historical sites there. The mountain today is equipped with a complete array of tourist facilities. Transportation is made convenient by airports at Nanchang and Lushan. Lushan is also a terminal on the Beijing-Kowloon Railway. A highway extends directly to the centre of Lushan------Guling Town.In 1982, it was ranked into the first batch of national key scenic spots. In 1996, it was collected into the World Heritage Name List by the WHC of the UNESCO in terms of World Cultural Landscape . In 2001, it was approved as one of the national geological parks. In 2002, it was evaluated as one of Chinese Top 10 Famous Mountains . And in 2004, it was approved as one of the first batch of world geological parks by the UNESCO.
