The birthplace of the Red Army and "cradle of the Chinese revolution," Jinggang Mountain in southern Jiangxi vies with Mao Zedong's hometown of Shaoshan for the title of "the reddest place in China."
Located in the Luoxian Mountains, Jinggang Shan is a major attraction for domestic tourists interested in revolutionary history; tens of thousands flock there each year to sites such as the mint of the Red Army and the Revolution Museum and the Martyrs' Cemetery. The local economy is founded on this wealth of Communist history and the Party has been sure to keep it in tip-top condition, with some of the best roads in China connecting various sites scattered across the mountain's lush green slopes.
Few foreigners make it out to Jinggang Shan, which is too bad--aside from the obvious historical value, it's a very attractive area, filled with pleasant walking and hiking paths, magnificent mountain views, waterfalls and bamboo forests.
Noteworthy stops are Five Dragon's Pool where, 7 km northwest of the town, hikers are rewarded with scenes of rushing waterfalls. For those that prefer not to break a sweat, a cable car can whip you up there for RMB 60 one way. Five Fingers Peak stands to the south and reaches a height of 1438 m above sea level and if its jagged edifice looks familiar, it used to grace the back of the old RMB 100 note. There are also stunning vistas to be had to the west from the old look out point of Huangyangjie, which sits atop the narrow pass.
The largest settlement in the area is Ciping, though the mountain's namesake (Jinggang Shan literally translates to "Well Ridge Mountain") comes from the five small villages, Big Well, Little Well, Middle Well, Upper Well and Lower Well that surround it.
History
Fleeing from the Kuomintang and the Shanghai Massacre of 1927, the Communists fled to the countryside and it was on the wooded slopes of Jinggang Shan that Mao and his 1,000 men took refuge after the unsuccessful Autumn Harvest Uprising in Changsha. Forming the first peasant soviet, they were soon joined by Zhu De and an additional 1,000 men or so, and later by Communist heroes Zhou Enlai, Lin Biao and Chen Yi. At its peak, the Jinggang Shan base camp was home to a force of 8,000 soldiers. However, under increasing Kuomintang pressure, the base was moved further south to Ruijin in January 1929.
One of the most celebrated sites of the Communist Revolution, Jinggang Shan was a place of pilgrimage for thousands of young Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. Traveling by foot to relive the experience of their forebearers, they numbered up to 30,000 arrivals per day at the peak of the phenomenon, until finally the government had to discourage the keen young revolutionaries due to the strain placed on housing, food and sanitation. In 1981 Jinggang Shan was designated as a National Protection Area and the following year, it became a National Priority Scenic Area.
Climate
Jinggang Shan is generally quite wet, but don't let that discourage you. The combination of mist, bamboo forests and lush mountainsides is gorgeous. Late spring and early summer see the heaviest rainfall, giving way eventually to a drier autumn and winter, but the mists rising from the forests persist more or less throughout the year, and the regions many streams and waterfalls add to the scenic atmospherics.
Fall is a good time to visit Jinggang Shan, avoiding the monsoon rains of early summer (the worst passes by the end of August). That said, unless you're interested in plunging into Chinese patriotic mass tourism, it's best not to hit Jinggang Shan during the October 1 National Holiday week. Spring, particularly April and May when the azaleas are in full bloom, are also excellent times to visit.
Summers are hot and humid, though with an average elevation of 382 meters above sea level and a maximum elevation of 1841 meters, the area can cool down quite quickly in the evening, even at the height of summer.
Getting Around
There are two types of taxis in Jinggang Shan City. The base rate for one type is 3 RMB for the first two kilometers and then 1.2 RMB per additional kilometer while for the other type the base rate is 5 RMB for the first two kilometers and then 1.5 RMB per additional kilometer.
Jinggang Shan City is about 102 km from Emperor Yandi Tomb, 50 km from the bridge where two troops of Chinese Red Army led by Mao Zedong and Zhu De separately joined their forces, 35 km from Maoping Octagonal Building, 115 km from Wen Tianxiang Memorial and 110 km from Jinggang Shan Railway Station.
To and From Jinggang Shan
Air
Jinggang Shan Airport is about 80 km from Ciping (downtown Jinggang Shan). Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Changsha are available.
Railway
Tourists may get off at Jian on Beijing-Kowloon railway line and then transfer a bus to Jinggang Shan. The bus trip takes about two hours. If you have enough time, you may stay in Jian for a day to visit Wen Tianxiang Memerial, Qingyuan Ancient Temple, Bailu Academy and Qingyuan Shan Scenic Area etc. Tourists may also get off at Jinggang Shan Railway Station in Taihe County and then transfer a bus, but actually it's nearer from Jian to Jinggang Shan than from Jinggang Shan Railway Station. Besides, special tour trains from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanjing to Jinggang Shan are all available.
Bus
As the Taihe-Jinggang Shan Freeway was open to traffic, it has become much more convenient to go to Jinggang Shan. Long-distance buses from Nanchang, Jian and Taihe to Jinggang Shan are available daily. Those buses can go to Jinggang Shan Scenic Area directly along Gunagdong-Jiangxi Freeway and Taihe-Jinggang Shan Freeway. Besides, Tourists from Ganzhou and Changsha can go to Jinggang Shan via Suichuan and Ninggang.
Jinggang Shan is about 352 km from Nanchang, 131 km from Jian, 181 km from Ganzhou City, 110 km from Taihe County, 88 km from Suichuan County, 365 km from Changsha City, 114 km from Chaling and 88 km from Yanling.