Since June, my son and I have been wondering where we should go in July. It's not an easy task to find a suitable place to visit in summer in China. Most parts of the country are very hot, and crowded with family tourists at the same time. According to the weather forecast, there were some places that were supposed to be cool but would have rain at the same time. Some places are just too far away. All of a sudden, Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi Province came to our mind. According to travelers' reviews, it is cool at the mountain top. Also, my husband had been there twice and highly recommended it. We immediately booked a return flight to Lushan(4/7-9/7) and were pleasantly surprised when we got there.

There were several reasons for our surprise.

1. You can arrive at Lushan from all directions and reach the mountaintop easily.

九江站→庐山北门：Jiujiang Railway Station → North Gate of Lushan Mountain，By bus: about 60 minutes；By taxi: about 30 minutes.

九江站→索道下站：Jiujiang Railway Station → Lower Station of Cableway，By bus: about 60 minutes；By taxi: about 40 minutes.

庐山站→索道下站：Lushan Railway Station → Lower Station of Cableway，By high - speed railway passenger special line: about 30 minutes；By taxi: about 30 minutes.

庐山站→庐山南门：Lushan Railway Station → South Gate of Lushan Mountain，By bus (need transfer): about 120 minutes；By taxi: about 40 minutes.

九江庐山机场→庐山南门：Jiujiang Lushan Airport → South Gate of Lushan Mountain， By taxi: about 20 minutes.

The above maps are from the official WeChat Mini - Program of Lushan, and the travel times are for reference only.
If you want to climb the mountain from the foot, you can choose the East Gate.

2. The sightseeing spots are vastly spread but conveniently connected by all kinds of transportation means.

3. The entire area is meticulously maintained. The tourist center is imposing and new. The buses are in good condition and the roads are clean. The houses exude a harmonious beauty. Here and there, you can stumble upon a bookstore. Moreover, there are numerous toilets and countless trash bins throughout the area.

4. There is a town located on the mountaintop, and the life there is incredibly vibrant and enjoyable. There are numerous restaurants and beverage shops on almost every street. Naturally, there are also many hotels and homestays. People come out to sing and dance at night. It is truly a resort town. We tried a lot of local dishes!

5.  Last but by no means least, the scenic views are not only easily accessible but also breathtakingly beautiful.

I highly recommend the following routes:

A. In the late afternoon, take a walk beside the picturesque Ruqin Lake and through Huajing area. In the evening, reach Xianrendong, where you can witness the breathtaking sunset. Then, continue your journey to Jinxiugu. From there, you can enjoy magnificent views of Jiujiang City at the foot of the mountain. Finally, exit onto the main road. We enjoyed the part of the trip very much and stayed for a long time there.

B. Take the tour bus to Lulinhu Parking Lot Station. Then, embark on a one-hour trail that passes through Sanbaoshu (Three-Treasure Trees), Wulongtan (Black Dragon Pool), Huanglongtan (Yellow Dragon Pool) and leads to Dianzhan Daba Station(Hydro-power Station Dam Station). This trail is entirely within the forest. As you walk, you'll pass by beautiful waterfalls, pools, and a lake. The entire experience is refreshingly cool and peaceful. There aren't many people on this route. As the entire journey is downhill, we don't feel tired at all.

Since we spent 4 days on the mountain, we visited quite a few other spots as well.

Sandiequan(Three-Ttered Waterfall): a 155-meter triple cascade, plunges like silk ribbons amid misty peaks and ancient pines.

This trip typically takes 2 - 4 hours. Upon arriving at Sandiequan Tour Bus Station, you have two options: either take the 15 - minute cableway or embark on a 50 - minute walk to the starting point of the trek to the waterfall. The downward trek takes approximately 30 minutes. After spending some time enjoying the waterfall area, you need to trek back upward to the starting point, which may take 1 hour or longer. Subsequently, you can either take the cableway or walk back to the bus station. 

The waterfall itself is magnificent. However, be prepared as it might be a tiring trip. Another drawback is that it is extremely popular during the summer vacation period.

From Sandiequan, we took the bus to Zhiwuyuan Station for the Lushan Botanical Garden. Founded in 1934, it is China's first subtropical mountain botanical garden.  The garden is incredibly tranquil and beautiful, and we had a very relaxing time there.

Then we took the bus to the town center for Lushan Conference site(The three Lushan Meetings each exerted profound influence on the history of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China.) and Meilu Villa(China’s only villa to have served as the summer residence of the top leaders of both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.) 

The tour bus took us to some other spots as well.

Hanpokou sits on Hanpo Ridge in Lushan’s East Valley at about 1,286 m above sea level. Ringed by mountains on three sides and opening toward the lake, it resembles a gaping mouth ready to swallow Poyang Lake—hence its name.

Dakou Waterfall sits east of Hanpokou, between the Botanical Garden and Five-Old-Man Peak, named after its valley mouth that resembles a giant open mouth.

Xiaotianchi:

Datianchi:

Xiufeng Waterfall: An Extra Bonus!
The great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai once left the timeless verse, "Waterfall plunges down three thousand chi, as if the Milky Way had fallen from the ninth heaven" here. You can witness the same breathtaking view from outside the mountain—a must-see in person!

On July 8th, we took the tour bus to the South Gate of Lushan and checked into a hotel nearby. We then waited in the hall for the newly launched Round-the-Mountain Tour Shuttle Bus, which departs from the South Gate at 13:45 and arrives at Xiufeng Station by 14:30. For half an hour, we stepped into Li Bai’s shoes, marveling at the same scene he described 1,300 years ago. We caught the return bus at 15:00. Though brief, the experience was deeply rewarding—nothing compares to seeing it with your own eyes! Standing there, you’ll feel dwarfed by the sheer grandeur of the mountains.

The overnight stay in the village near the South Gate was also pleasant.

Is there anything that needs to be improved? Sure. For example, there should be more foreign - language information available for international travelers. Domestic travelers can easily navigate through various things via the internet and the official WeChat mini-program, but it's somewhat difficult for foreigners. If you're not confident about exploring independently, we suggest you hire a guide. However, if you've managed to travel to many places in China on your own, you should be able to handle this as well.

What about the temperature? It's still a bit hot in the sunshine during the daytime, but it's much cooler than at the foot of the mountain. If you're out of the sunshine, there's no problem at all. It's very comfortable in the mornings and evenings.

Regarding the travel time: It is an excellent summer resort. But if you can visit in months other than July and August, the experiences could be even better. Lushan attracts a large number of family travelers and student travelers during the summer vacation.

In conclusion, I would unhesitatingly recommend Lushan to you. I sincerely hope you have a wonderful time during your future visit!

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel