Mt. Lushan National Park

Lushan National Park Photos

Lushan has an  abundance of flora. There are about 1,720 varieties, including plants of temperate zone, torrid zone, semitropics, East Asia, North America and China. It belongs to subtropical area where the climate is moderate with ample rainfall. The average temperature in July is only 22.6C (about 72.7F). The Lushan Arboretum was built in 1934, and it is an important base for preserving flora of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is a good summer resort.

The mountain is also an educational base and religious center of ancient China and is home to the country's oldest academy. The Bailudong Academy was founded in 940 and is one of China's four most prestigious academies. (The others are Suiyang Academy, Shigu Academy and Yuelu Academy). It was in Bailudong Academy that an educational system was proposed by the outstanding educator Zhu Xi (1130-1200) of the Southern Song Dynasty. This formed the guide line for education in ancient China. Lushan has also attracted more than 1,500 eminent writers such as Li Bai (701-762), Bai Juyi ( 772-846), Su Shi (1037-1101), Kang Youwei (1858-1927), Guo Moruo(1892-1978), to name but a few, and has preserved more than 4,000 of their poems and essays.
 

Five different religions have been observed in Lushan over the past 1,600 years. The monk Hui Yuan (334-416) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) established Donglin Temple on the mountain, which is the Pure-land Sect of Buddhism. In the 5th century, Lu Xiujing, a Taoist of the Southern Dynasties (420-589) initiated Nantianshi Sect of Taoism. During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, Islam and Christianity became established here. In the early part of the 20th century, churches of 20 more counties were constructed in the area which still has temples and churches of the five religions (sects).

The all-embracing spirit of Lushan means that it has various styles of architecture ranging from Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals to Byzantine structures, Japanese buildings, Islamic mosques and villas of 25 countries, all of which make Lushan a large-scale World Village.