Mount Lu or Lushan, also known as Kuanglu in ancient times, is situated in the northern part of Jiangxi province in Central China, and is one of the most renowned mountains in the country. It is located primarily in Lushan county-level city in Jiujiang Prefecture, although the northern portions are found in Lianxi District which was formerly known as Lushan District and until 2016 covered the majority of the Mount Lu. The oval-shaped mountains are about 25 kilometers (16 mi) long and 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) wide, and neighbors Jiujiang city and the Yangtze River to the north, Nanchang city to the south, and Poyang Lake to the east. Its highest point is Dahanyang Peak, reaching 1,474 meters (4,836 ft) above sea level, and is one of the hundreds of steep peaks that towers above a sea of clouds that encompass the mountains for almost 200 days out of the year. Mount Lu is known for its grandeur, steepness, and beauty, and is part of Lushan National Park, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site since 1996, and a prominent tourist attraction, especially during the summer months when the weather is cooler in the mountains than elsewhere.
Lushan was a summer resort for Western missionaries in China. Absalom Sydenstricker, the father of Pearl Buck, was one of the first five missionaries to acquire property in the Kuling Estate on the mountain.
The development of Kuling was instigated by the Reverend Edward Little and Dr. Edgerton H. Hart. The four principal founders of the China’s Nurses Association and its first president, Caroline Maddock Hart; met in Kuling to form this association.
Popular attractions in Mount Lu include the Immortal Caverns, Meilu Outhouse, Five Old Man Peaks, White Deer Cavern Academy, Three Tiled Springs, Luling Lake, Lushan Hot Springs, Botanical Gardens, the Bamboo Temple, Guanyin Bridge, Peach Blossom Garden, Catholic Church of Mount Lu, and many more.
