Northern Jiangxi

Northern Jiangxi, made up of Nanchang and Jiujiang, pairs Mount Lushan, Poyang Lake, the Pavilion of Prince Teng and Lushan West Sea into Jiangxi's classic combination of landscapes and culture.

The Northern Jiangxi region covers the entire jurisdictions of Nanchang and Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province, on the south bank of the Yangtze and to the northwest of Poyang Lake. Under this scheme's definitions, Shangrao, Jingdezhen and Yingtan belong to Northeastern Jiangxi, so Wuyuan, Mount Sanqing and the like are not in this region. Jiujiang is the core: Mount Lushan is a World Cultural Landscape, with Guling Town, Ruqin Lake, Brocade Valley, Sandie Spring and Hanpokou as classic sights, and its cool summer climate has long made it a summer retreat; at the foot of the mountain, Donglin Temple and the White Deer Grotto Academy, along with Xunyang Tower in downtown Jiujiang and Shizhong Mountain at Hukou, are all easy add-ons. Poyang Lake is China's largest freshwater lake, and the Duchang and Wucheng (Yongxiu) areas host large flocks of wintering migratory birds; in the dry season the grassland on the lake bed is also a unique sight. Lushan West Sea (Zhelin Lake) offers lake-and-mountain scenery suited to leisurely getaways; Xiushui is the hometown of Huang Tingjian, with hot springs and ancient villages in the hills. Nanchang is the provincial capital; its main sights are the Pavilion of Prince Teng, the August 1st Uprising Memorial Hall, the Wanshou Palace historic district and the Haihunhou Kingdom Site Park, and its signature foods are Nanchang rice noodles and clay-pot soup. A classic route is one day in Nanchang and two in Lushan, plus one to two days of Poyang Lake birdwatching or a West Sea getaway depending on the season. For transport, Nanchang Changbei Airport is Jiangxi's main hub, the Beijing–Kowloon railway and the Nanchang–Jiujiang intercity railway link the two cities, and the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway passes through Nanchang; to go up Mount Lushan, take the scenic-area shuttle or drive. Lushan is crowded on summer weekends and often rainy or foggy; the birdwatching season at Poyang Lake is every winter.

Destinations

Itineraries