Brief Introduction
Mt. Jinggang is
located on the common boundary of Jiangxi Province and Hunan Province, 352
kilometers (about 219 miles) southwest from the capital city - Nanchang. The
mountain areas have a high center that is surrounded by a somewhat lower level
and between them they present two obvious steps. At the point that these steps
are divided the relative height is 500 meters (about 1640 feet).
It was here that
the famous Five Sentries (the five Red Army military strongholds built) stood
overlooking the difficult terrain. Another feature of the area is the many
well-shaped basins among the ridges. It was these natural indentations that
gave the mountain its name of Jing, meaning well and gang, meaning ridge -
hence 'Jinggang'. It covers a fairly wide area but it is possible to arrange
for a car to carry you to the various separate sites of interest. These are not
far from each other and the cost, which can be negotiated, will be reasonable.
Base of the Red Army
The Jinggang Mountains is known as the birthplace of
the Chinese Red Army, predecessor of the People's Liberation Army and the
"cradle of the Chinese revolution". This mountain has great
significance in the annals of modern Chinese history for it was here that
important events during the Chinese revolution took place. For those who are
interested in the history of the revolution, it is possible to take a tour on Mt. Jinggang
that the people who against great odds struggled to establish the Peoples'
Republic of China.
Mt. Jinggang is famous for the fact that it was here
that forces led by Zhu De joined those headed by Mao Zedong. Together, the
combined forces of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) marched on to a victory
that was to establish the new China
under the Chairmanship of Mao Zedong. The mountain with its special features is
quite different from the other sights, which makes a visit so rewarding.
Tourism
Jinggang Mountain is rich in natural resources. With a
forest coverage rate of 64%, more than 3,800 different plants grow here,
including over 30 rare tree species and over 20 rare animal species. Owing to
its rich resource of animals, a nature reserve of 16.6 square kilometers was
established here by the state in 1981. The mountain was selected as one of the
key national scenic spots in 1982. Major scenic spots in the mountain include Five-Fingers
(Wuzhi) Peak, Dragon-Pond (Longtan) waterfall, Huangyang Jie , and Ci Ping.
The first site of
interest is Five-Fingers (Wuzhi) Peak; this is the highest in the Jinggang
mountain range. The peak has the appearance of five extended fingers, hence its
name. The steep peak extends in an imposing way from southeast to northwest.
There is no path on which to climb and the unspoiled virgin forest on the mountain
is almost without any trace of human beings. Tourists may climb up to the
Sightseeing Platform opposite, which is the best view point for seeing its
majestic appearance. The Mt.
Jinggang River
twists and turns as it races through this valley. On the mountainside, and
visible from a long distance, is a large waterfall that appears like a thin
silk veil hanging from the sky. Five-Fingers
Peak is now the nature reserve of Jiangxi Province.
The next site is
the Dragon-Pond (Longtan) waterfalls also referred to as the Five-Dragon-Pond.
When you enter this area long before you catch sight of the falls, you will
hear the thunder-like roar of the water. Upper most is the Jade Waterfall that
drops down to the green and limpid Jade Pond. The second is Lock-Dragon-Waterfall
which spews out from the yellow cliff top into the Golden-Lock-Pond. The flow
of water is not large but it is famed for what appears like a dragon trapped in
it. The next are Pearl Waterfall and Pearl Pond. The waterfall rushes down from
a 30 meter (about 99 feet) high cliff and is caught in its path by a large rock
that causes the water to break into thousands of pearl-like droplets that
glisten in the bright sunshine, hence its name. The forth are the
Flying-Phoenix-Waterfall and Flying-Phoenix-Pond. At the bottom are the
Maiden-Waterfall and Maiden-Pond.
Huangyang Jie is
one of the five famous sentries. The well-known Defence of Huangyang Jie
happened here and Mao Zedong's poem-Xijiang Moon was written to commemorate it.
The old residences of the Red Army leaders remain here and many stories about
the revolutionary period have come down to us. A trench is also preserved and
many tourists put on Red Army attire to be photographed near the trench as a
souvenir. Some of the old equipment is kept there as well as the tools and
materials used to make currency. Some Silver dollars (Yinyuan) were unearthed
when the mint was restored and in the Currency Museum
you can see these coins that were minted by the Red Army.
Ciping, the center
of the Mt. Jinggang
area and red revolution base of China,
is the place where many sights can be seen. Ciping is a mountain city and was
the location of the highest leading department of the Mt. Jinggang
revolutionary base. Now many places of interest in connection with the
revolution can be seen here. Among these are the Mt. Jinggang
Revolution Museum,
the Tower of the Revolutionary Martyrs and military statues. Mt. Jinggang
Revolution Museum
was established here in 1959. The museum uses modern techniques of sound, light
and models to illustrate the important events of the revolution. The main
natural beauties in this area are the Southern Mountain Park in south Ciping
and the Yicui Garden. On the way to the mountaintop
there are five kiosks. There is a pentagon exhibition hall on the mountaintop
decorated with the statuary of workers, peasants and soldiers.
The famous
Monument and Memorial to the joining of Forces on Mt. Jinggang
is situated in the Dragon-city (Longshi) area, southwest of Huangyang Jie. The
monument commemorates the achievement of Mao Zedong and Zhu De. The five
exhibition rooms present the important event in Chinese history to visitors.
The monument is 19.28 meters (about 21.1 yards) high, 5 meters (about 5.5
yards) long and 4 meters (about 4.4 yards) wide which indicates the date of
join forces-May 4th, 1928. The two sides of the monument are inlaid with red
marble, symbolizing two oriflammes, depicting the successful meeting of the two
forces on Mt. Jinggang.
Mt. Jinggang has an indispensable place in Chinese
revolutionary history and offers a good insight into the history of the Chinese
revolution. However, this is not only a Red Army tourist spot but is also an
area of natural beauty that offers you plenty of scope for relaxation.