Jinggangshan

The "Cradle of the Chinese Revolution", with Ciping, Huangyangjie and Wuzhi Peak, combining Red history trips with mountain scenery of bamboo forests and rhododendrons.

Jinggangshan lies in the middle of the Luoxiao Mountains in southwestern Jiangxi, where Ji'an meets Hunan. In 1927 Mao Zedong, Zhu De and others founded China's first rural revolutionary base here, earning it the title "Cradle of the Chinese Revolution". It is also a national top-rated (5A) scenic area and a national nature reserve, with forest cover of more than 85%. Ciping town is the centre for sightseeing: the town has the Jinggangshan Revolution Museum, Beishan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery and Yicui Lake. About 17 km to the northwest is the Huangyangjie sentry post, passing Mao Zedong's former residence at Dajing and the Red Army Hospital at Xiaojing on the way; to the south are Wuzhi Peak, Bijia Mountain (alpine rhododendrons, cable car) and the Longtan waterfalls. With a mountain climate, Ciping averages about 24°C in summer, making it a popular summer retreat; Bijia Mountain's rhododendrons bloom in April–May, the forests blaze with colour in autumn, and there's occasional snow in winter, though mountain roads may ice over. Getting there: coaches run from Jinggangshan Station (Beijing–Kowloon line) and Ji'an West Station (Nanchang–Ji'an–Ganzhou high-speed railway) to Ciping (about 1–1.5 hours), and Jinggangshan Airport has flights to Beijing, Shanghai and elsewhere. Sights are spread out, so you'll need the scenic-area shuttle buses or your own car. Admission is by a combined ticket (covering several major sights and valid for several days); some venues such as the museum are free with ID — check official announcements. Allow 2–3 days: one day for Ciping (museum, martyrs' cemetery), Huangyangjie and Dajing; one day for Wuzhi Peak and Longtan; one day for Bijia Mountain. Local specialities include red rice with pumpkin soup, Jinggangshan bamboo shoots and stone-ear lichen stewed with chicken. Note: during the group study-tour seasons (Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov) hotels fill up, so book ahead; it rains a lot in the mountains, so keep rain gear handy; the last scenic-area shuttles leave early, so mind your return time.

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