Mount Longhu
3 min readMount Longhu in Yingtan，as depicted in the first chapter of the classical Chinese novel Water Margin，is the birthplace of”Zhengyi”Taoism in China.
Sixteen kilometers away from Yingtan City to the southwest，it is a“AAAA-level”national key scenic area，national forestry park and national geologic park，known as a“Capital of Gods”and“Paradise on the Earth”，which covers around 200 square kilometers with semitropical humid monsoon climate and an annual average temperature of 18.1 ℃.The main scenic spots include Shangqing Palace，Heavenly Master’s Residence，Immortals’City，No-mosquito Village，Fairy Water Cliff，and so on.The Taoism culture experiencing a very long history，beautiful and unique green hills with wandering streams and springs among them，and the mysterious cliff tombs that can not be explained by modern science are the three most amazing and attractive points among the natural and cultural sceneries in the resort.
Taoism of China originated in this place，Mount Longhu.
Mount Longhu was formerly named Yunjin Mountain.In the middle of Easterm Han Dynasty（25A.D.-220 A.D.），Zhang Daoling，the first Heavenly Master（a title used by Taoists for the Head of Taoism）settled down here and began to makeNine-sky Pills of Immortality.A dragon and a tiger appeared when the pills had been made，so the mountain was renamed as Mount Longhushan【Chinese Characters“（Long）”“（Hu）”means dragon and tiger in English”】.The Title of Heavenly Master Zhang passed on for 63 generations，witnessing a Taoism sect which experienced the longest history of more than 1900 years among all single-name sectsof this religion.So there is an old saying in China，“Confucius represents the North while Heavenly Master Zhang the South.”The untouched Shangqing Heavenly Master Residence dating back to the Han Dynasty，which was named“Great True Man’s（a Taoist title）Residence”，currently covers over 30 thousand square meters and remains under good protection.Established in the Eastern Han Dynasty，the Great Shangqing Palace was considered as a divine place where deity received their duties and Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling cultivated him for immortality.When Taoism was quite prosperous，there were 91 palaces，80 temples，50 residences，24 halls，and 36 compounds in all.The Subjugating Evil Well in the Vanquishing Demon Hall，where the 108 warriors came from in Water Margin-a Chinese classical masterpiece by Shi Nai’an，remains undamaged.
Mount Longhu can be classified as typical red sandstone landform in China.
There are 99 peaks，24 clifs，108 natural and cultural scenic spots，and over 20 legendary wells and pools，among which springs and falls are scattered，adding enchanting beauty to the resort.Like a jade ribbon，Luxi River stretches itself from south to north，linking Shangqing Palace，Heavenly Master’s Residence，Mount Longhu，Fairy Water Cliff and other spots.Surrounded by purple hills and green springs，the ten major beauties in the core area indeed seem more refreshing and exciting.
Built in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period，the cliff tombs here can date back to 2600 years ago.Known as a natural archeological museum that is very rare in China，even in the world，the tombs have attained a worldwide fame for their long history，large scale，rich antiques，and unique shapes.
With Yingtan-Xiamen，Anhui-Jiangxi，and Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railways and 206，320 State Road crossing this area，the traffic condition is very convenient here.
Besides，you can take waterways to Poyang Lake，the largest transportation center in the South of Yangtze River.The resort is only 120 kilometers away from the ChangbeiAirport in Nanchang，the capital of Jiangxi Province and 16 kilometers from Yingtan.
You can take No.8 bus in Yingtan to reach here directly.
The accommodation condition is also advantageous here.There are a three-star and two two-star level hotels.What’s more，you can appreciate the special cuisine here，such as mushroom with fresh meat，wick cake，winter bamboo shoot bacon，and so on.
