Lushan Quaternary Glaciation National Geopark, UNESCO World Heritage Site geopark in Jiujiang, China

Lushan rises abruptly from the middle Yangtze plain just north of Poyang Lake, its highest point Hanyang Feng reaching 1,474 m. Deep valleys, rock walls, streams, waterfalls and forests lie within a UNESCO property of 30,200 hectares, with a 50,000-hectare buffer zone. Over two millennia, Buddhist temples, Taoist complexes, Confucian academies, pavilions, bridges and villas were built into this setting.

In the 1920s and 1930s geologist Li Siguang (J. S. Lee) read valleys and sediment beds on Lushan as traces of repeated Pleistocene glaciations, building a glacial sequence that shaped Chinese Quaternary geology for much of the 20th century. Later geomorphological and sedimentological work attributed many of those deposits to alluvial fans, debris flows and weathering, so the glaciation remains disputed. Lushan joined the Global Geoparks Network in 2004.

Lushan's name appears in Tang poetry: the poet Tao Yuanming (365–427), linked to the region, is a foundational figure of Chinese landscape and rural verse. Bai Juyi's poem about the mountain's flowers is still taught, and the mountain's mist, streams and waterfalls became standard subjects of Chinese painting. Visitors can look for inscriptions carved into the rock at scenic spots.

The site has multiple access points and conditions are most comfortable during months with mild temperatures, while higher elevations can be quite cold in winter. Sturdy walking shoes and layered clothing are essential since weather and temperature shift rapidly as you climb.

Geologist Li Siguang (J. S. Lee) studied Lushan's valleys and sediment deposits in the 1920s and 1930s and read them as traces of repeated Pleistocene glaciations, building a glacial sequence that shaped Chinese Quaternary geology for much of the 20th century. Later geomorphological and sedimentological work has attributed many of those deposits to alluvial fans, debris flows and weathering rather than ice, so the glacial reading remains debated.