1521 CHINA (Jiangxi) - Lushan National Park (UNESCO WHS)

Mount Lushan is one of the spiritual centres of Chinese civilization, and was a summer resort for Western missionaries. The oval-shaped mountains are about 25km long and 10km wide, and neighbors Jiujiang city and the Yangtze River to the north, Nanchang city to the south, and Poyang Lake to the east. Its highest point is Dahanyang Peak, reaching 1,474 m above sea level, and is one of the hundreds of steep peaks that towers above a sea of clouds that encompass the mountains for almost 200 days out of the year.

Buddhist and Taoist temples, along with landmarks of Confucianism, where the most eminent masters taught, blend effortlessly into a strikingly beautiful landscape which has inspired countless artists who developed the aesthetic approach to nature found in Chinese culture. The scenery in Lushan scenic area, full of sheer peaks and precipices, changeable clouds and fogs, silver springs and flying waterfalls, is breathtaking. Its natural beauty is perfectly integrated with its historic buildings and features, creating a unique cultural landscape.

More than 200 historic buildings form complexes of prayer halls that have been rebuilt and extended many times to create an ongoing centre for study and religion. These include the Buddhist East Grove Temple complex begun by Huiyuan in 386 CE; the West Grove Pagoda begun around 730 CE; the Temple of Simplicity and Tranquility built during the Tang dynasty, and the White Deer Cave Academy originally established in 940 CE and revived in the late 12th century.

This complex continued to be extended up to the 19th century to include many temples, study halls and libraries. Other important features include the stone single-span Guan Ying Bridge of 1,015 CE and more than 900 inscriptions on cliffs and stone tablets. In addition there are around 600 villas built by Chinese and foreign visitors in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The villas reflect various architectural fashions and are laid out within the landscape in accordance with Western planning concepts prevalent at the time.

Opened as a tourist attraction in the year 1980, Jinxiu Valley is famous for its natural stone overbridge, strange stones, peaks, streams as well as the rich ecosystems, especially the wide varieties of flowers, used by monks in traditional medicine. The flowers are always in full bloom, so brilliant that people call them brocade. Some stones look like the grey hair old man, some like a frog jumping on surface while others like an elephant, spectacular and meaningful.

A small crystal clear stream winds at the bottom of the valley, which is a stone path that is lined huge, ancient pine trees that are often shrouded in fog, creating a beautiful and mysterious atmosphere. The huge gorge that covers the forests line in the gorge makes walkers feels lost in an ancient and mysterious world, far removed from thae riproarious large cities. A famous poet named Wang Anshi from the Song Dynasty wrote extensively on the beauty and wonder of the valley, praising it as one of the most beautiful locations in China.

About the stamps
The first stamp is one of the two of the series Qingdao International Horticultural Exposition, designed by Jiang Wei, and issued on April 25, 2014:
• Theme Pavilion
• Botanical Pavilion - It's on the postcard

The following two stamps, designed by Yves Boyard, were released on January 27, 2014, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations Between China and France:
• Qinhuai River, Nanjing - It's on the postcard
• Seine River, Paris - It's on the postcard

The last stamp is one of the two of the series Teachers' Day, designed by Cao Weiguo and realesed September 10, 2014:
• Flying Hope - It's on the postcard
• Gratitude For Teachers Unforgettable

References
Lushan National Park - UNESCO official website
Mt. Lushan - China Unique Tour
Mount Lushan Jinxiu Valley - China Unique Tour
Jinxiu Valley - China Holidays
Jinxiu Valley - Explore China Tours
Mount Lu - Wikipedia

Sender: Francoise / maroussia (postcrossing) CN-1593084
Sent from Beijing (Beijing / China), on 28.03.2015