Mount Lu

Mount Lu is a peak in Jiangxi Province rising 1,474 meters (4,836 feet) above sea level and marked by steep slopes. Its formations of granite and sandstone stretch along the Yangtze River valley and form gorges, waterfalls, and rock ledges.

Buddhist monks settled on the mountain from the fourth century onward and founded Donglin Temple between 386 and 402. White Deer Grotto Academy began in 940 and became a leading center for Confucian studies during the Song Dynasty.

Donglin Temple from the fourth century drew scholars and monks who meditated on the slopes and composed poetry. Visitors today see pavilions and stone inscriptions that speak of the long tradition of Buddhist and Confucian scholarship.

Several hiking trails lead to temples, waterfalls, and observation points in the national park and connect the main peaks to each other. The trails vary in difficulty, and many require a few hours of walking to reach the upper areas.

The mountain is covered by clouds roughly 200 days a year, and the mist patterns inspired generations of classical landscape painters. These clouds often rise from the valleys and wrap peaks and forests in shifting light.