Where is Jiujiang? What scenic spots does it have?

Jiujiang, historically known as Jiangzhou, Xunyang, Chaisang, Runan, Pengcheng and Dehua, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangxi Province. It is hailed as the Northern Gateway of Jiangxi.

Oval in shape, Lushan is a typical horst block mountain, stretching about 25 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide. Its more than 90 connected peaks form a nine-layered screen, guarding the northern border of Jiangxi. Famous for grandeur, wonder, peril and grace, it enjoys the reputation that "No mountain under heaven can surpass the beauty of Kuanglu". Together with Jigong Mountain, Beidaihe and Mogan Mountain, it ranks among China’s four great summer resorts. Towering green peaks, thundering silver waterfalls, ever-changing sea of clouds and exquisite classical gardens fully display Lushan’s everlasting charm. It attracts visitors home and abroad for its spring-like coolness in midsummer, making it a time-honored scenic resort and summer retreat. Countless poets left inscriptions here through the ages, among which Li Bai’s Viewing the Waterfall on Lushan Mountain remains the most celebrated.

Stone Gate Gorge lies on the western foot of Lushan and is known as the West Gate of the mountain. It gets its name from the two facing peaks — Heavenly Pool Mountain and Iron Boat Peak — which form a natural stone gate with a waterfall plunging between them. Standing at an altitude of 400 metres, the gorge enjoys mild weather and abundant rainfall. The hillsides on both sides are covered with tropical, subtropical and temperate plants, including rare photinia, mallotus and tulip trees that grow into thick forests. Two thousand-year-old boxwood trees are known as a botanical wonder of Lushan. Here, geological faults from different eras are clearly visible, earning Stone Gate Gorge the title of a natural ecological museum integrating historical records, geological changes and biological evolution.

Tall precipices stand face to face across the gorge, forming perilous gateways. At the narrowest point, the Small Stone Gate is only a crack between two cliffs; tourists have to squeeze sideways to pass through. Waterfalls pour down from high crags, and deep pools form at the bottom of the valley. Jagged rocks beneath the lake and giant boulders along the stream naturally form stone platforms. The largest smooth boulder can seat dozens of people and bears the three carved characters "Stone Gate Gorge". Beyond this boulder, the canyon becomes even narrower and steeper, with sharp peaks competing in magnificence. Along the great fault, Mast Peak and Boy Cliff rise abruptly from the valley floor, standing close to one another amid clusters of jagged summits. The thousand-foot cliffs are nearly vertical, reaching straight toward the sky above and plunging down to the deep ravine below. The fantastic peaks, strange rocks and stunning landscapes are breathtaking; even supernatural craftsmanship could hardly carve such marvelous scenery.

The tower takes its name from Xunyang, the ancient name of Jiujiang. Originally a folk tavern with a history of over 1,200 years, it has long been a gathering place for celebrities standing majestically beside the river. Built in typical Song Dynasty architectural style, Xunyang Tower is a tourist attraction combining sightseeing, tea-tasting, storytelling and dining. High above hangs the horizontal plaque inscribed with "Xunyang Tower" by Zhao Puchu, calligrapher and former president of the Buddhist Association of China. The ancient couplet "No wine compares with ours under heaven; no tower is more famous in the world" draws crowds of tourists to stop and admire it. Painting and calligraphy lovers can appreciate numerous masterpieces, poems and couplets written by renowned artists inside the building.

White Deer Cave Academy was one of the Four Great Academies of the Song Dynasty, representing nearly 700 years of Neo-Confucian scholarship in China. It is situated at the foot of Houping Mountain on the southern slope of Five Elders Peak of Lushan. Though named a "cave", there is no actual cavern; the surrounding green mountains enclose the land into a hollow shape that resembles a cave.

Today, the academy forms a complex centred on the Etiquette Hall, including the Hall of Enlightenment, Literary Assembly Hall, Imperial Book Pavilion, Zhu Xi Pavilion, Sage Memorial Platform, Top Scholar Bridge, archway, memorial arch and stele forest. The buildings blend perfectly with the surrounding mountains and rivers, like a frozen movement of history. Films and TV dramas such as Romance on Lushan Mountain, A Dream of Red Mansions, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and Zheng He have all shot scenes here to capture the academy’s timeless charm.