Located in the far north of Jiangxi province near the border with Hubei and Anhui provinces, Lushan Mountain is perched at almost 1,200 meters above the Yangtze plain giving easy access to the 1,500 meter high peaks surrounding it. It's a 30 minute bus ride from the nearest major city, the river port of Jiujiang. I arrived at Jiujiang's long distance bus station before midday from Wuhan and the next bus to Lushan was 1:30 pm. This was a good chance to try out my new fan as I waited in the sticky, oppressive summer heat wondering just how much cooler could it really be in Lushan Mountain.
Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi province, is not a common destination for travelers in China, neither domestic nor foreign. It receives some attention for its revolutionary history and for the Tengwang Pavillion that stands on the shores of the great Gan River, but aside from that, it is largely left alone. Part of the reason is that the city appears a little bleak - that being, its history is not particularly extensive and the architecture is plain and functional, so it is occasionally considered to be charmless.
There was one significant reason why I was interested in visiting the city of Nanchang other than seeing the sights and trying the local cuisine - for Nanchang is remembered in Chinese history as the birthplace of the People's Liberation Army, and is the location of the first significant military action that began the Chinese Communist forces' long struggle to the leadership some twenty years later.
Can you remember your first "set of wheels"? Was it a tricycle, a scooter, a skateboard, bicycle, motorbike or perhaps your very first car? No matter what your age or the number of wheels, just having some can be a very liberating experience for most of us. Such is the case with the relatively new leisure sport "inline roller blading", which is making a huge impact on this generation of Chinese youth and children.
Perhaps it was a silly idea from the start - leaving Beijing just as the stifling summer heat was subsiding and heading off for Southern China, which was still frying under the sun. I'm useless on a sweaty day and find the sticky summers quite unbearable - but I'm still never reluctant to step on something that moves, especially when it's heading somewhere I've never been before.
A hard time leaving Jindezhen, so called "Capital of China" - porcelain china that is. Only four months in China, with limited language, I was traveling alone but managing all the same with a little help from shy English speaking locals. Just when I needed help someone would kindly offer to translate for me, with shaking hands and a breaking sweat. I was, more often than not, the first foreigner they had ever spoken to.
I went to Jingdezhen two years ago with a friend. We came there to have a look around at the age old porcelain industry, and to purchase some porcelain to take home with us.
We spent 2 days hiking Sanqingshan Mountain, stayed overnight at the Heaven Gate Hotel atop the mountain, and it is absolutely some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet!
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