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It is one of China's famous mountains and
covers an area of 300 square kilometers. Dahanyang Peak, the highest
peak, rises 1,474 meters above sea level. The mountain is a well-known
scenic area, summer resort and place for patients to recuperate.
There are imposing and magnificent peaks, unique waterfalls, and
historical sites as well as a changing sea of clouds and a warm
and comfortable climate.
The main scenic spots on the mountain include
the Peak of the Five Old Men, Three Step Spring, Hanpo Pass, Lulin
Lake, Great Tianchi Lake, Flowerpath, Ruqin Lake, Jingxiu Valley,
Immortal's Cavern, Lesser Tianchi Lake, Donglin Temple, White Deer
Cave Academy, Lushan Botanical Gardens and Lushan Museum.
Guling Town, the center of the scenic area,
is a unique city on the mountain. At an altitude of 1,167 meters,
it is surrounded on three sides by mountains. To its north is Scissors
Pass. A mountain highway leads to the various scenic spots from
the city.
The 1,211 meter-high Hanpo Pass lies between
the Peak of the Five Old Men and Jiuqi Peak.Poyang Lake is in the
south of Hanpo Peak and its extensive surface is dotted with thousands
of boats. Hanpo Pavilion is an ideal place to view the sunrise.
To the east of Three-Step Spring is the Peak of the Five Old Men
where a waterfall cascades from rock to rock in a total drop of
300 meters. West of Guling is the Flowerpath where the noted poet
of the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, wrote poems expressing his admiration
of the peach blossoms. Ddonglin Temple on the northwest slope of
the mountain is the birthplace of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism.
White Deer Cave Academy is in a valley at the foot of the Peak of
the Five Old Men and was one of the earliest institutes of higher
learning in ancient China. The Greater and Lesser Tianchi Lakes
are beautiful scenic spots on the mountain and contain water all
the year round. The Greater Tianchi Lake is an ideal place to view
a sunset and enjoy the Yangtze River while the Lesser Tianchi Lake
is a good place to enjoy the beauty of the Poyang Lake. Trees surround
Lushan Museum on the northern bank of Lulin Lake; it houses ancient
Chinese bronzes, pottery from different historical periods, calligraphic
works from Tang Dynasty and paintings from Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Lushan Botanical Gardens are in a valley to the east of the
mountain. At an altitude of 1,000 to 1,300 meters they are sub highland
botanical gardens and were founded in 1934. The gardens cover an
area of three square kilometers, grow more than 3,400 kinds of plants
and preserve 100,000 plant species.
Included in the UNESCO world heritage list
in 1996.
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