Jiujiang Lushan｜A Summer Retreat in the Cool Realm, A Sacred Mountain Rich in Poetry

At noon, as we ascended the mountain from the sweltering urban area of Jiujiang, the thermometer outside the car window dropped from 38°C to 23°C in just 20 minutes. The moment the window rolled down, a cool breeze carrying the scent of pine greeted us, and suddenly, Bai Juyi's poetic lines echoed in my ears: "While flowers in the mortal world wither in April, peach blossoms at the mountain temple just begin to bloom." It turns out the poet from a thousand years ago had already captured Lushan's secluded coolness. 🌿 Three Poetic Experiences 1. **Exploring Celebrity Villas**: On moss-covered stone steps, we serendipitously met Professor Li, an expert on Lushan's architecture. Gently touching the bricks of the "Meilu Villa," he said, "These stones hold half of modern Chinese history." Following him, we found Soong Mei-ling's favorite viewing platform. Through the same telescope from back then, Poyang Lake below remained vast and misty. (📸 Must-photo: The ivy-covered wall in front of the Christian church.) 2. **Cloud-Mist Tea Gathering**: Auntie Zhang, a tea farmer at the foot of Five Old Peaks, brewed this year's freshly picked cloud-mist tea with mountain spring water. "We pick tea leaves by watching the clouds," she said, pointing to the valley. "When the mist reaches halfway up the mountain, the leaves are at their tenderest." The refreshing taste of the tea suddenly made me understand why Li Bai wrote, "Let the white deer roam freely among the green cliffs." 3. **Stargazing at Night**: Staying at the 1934-built "Yuntian Villa," the owner brought out a telescope from the Republic of China era: "This was used by missionaries to observe the stars." On the terrace at midnight, the Milky Way was so clear that we could see swirling nebulae, accompanied by the distant sound of wind through pine trees—as if conversing with the starry sky of history. 🗺️ **Cool Retreat Guide** - **Transport**: Take a direct shuttle from Jiujiang Station to Guling Town (1 hour); sightseeing bus tickets are recommended. - **Accommodation**: "Songmen Villa" or "Yuntian Hotel," renovated historic buildings with ample fans. - **Must-Try**: Fried stone fish with eggs, cloud-mist tea cakes, and the "Three Stone Feast" (stone frog, stone fish, and stone ear). - **Hidden Perk**: Free screenings of the movie *Romance on Lushan Mountain* every Wednesday morning. 🌟 **Summer Escape Tips** 1. The morning mist in Jinxiu Valley often creates a fairy-tale scene. 2. Hanpokou is coolest two hours after sunrise. 3. Lulin Lake offers a "natural air conditioning" experience in the evening. 4. Villa museums blast air conditioning during the hottest afternoon hours. While flipping through the yellowed pages of *The Chronicles of Lushan* in the library, the librarian pointed outside: "Look at those clouds—they’re identical to the 1936 photo in this book." Suddenly, I realized that Lushan’s true treasure lies not just in its natural coolness but in this timeless cultural resonance. Before leaving, I bought a packet of cloud-mist tea seeds, hoping to plant this sense of "only because I am in this mountain" serenity in my memory.