Jinggang Mountains Scenic Area

Welcome to JinggangMountains Scenic Area! First, I’d like to explain how Jinggangshan, or WellRidgeMountains, took its name. Jing refers to five villages surrounded by hills – DajngVillage, XiaojingVillage, ZhongjingVillage, XiajingVillage and ShangjingVillage. And gang refers to high ridges surrounding the villages. It’s wise for you to choose this season to visit Jinggang Mountains Scenic Area. Against the virgin forests, clusters of red azalea blossoming on the slopes look so fresh, bright, and dazzling that you can’t be sleepy. Right? In fact, the tourist attractions are more than azalea flowers here. Jinggang Mountains Scenic Area covers 261 squrare kilometers, has 11 scenic spots, 76 sights, and 460 tourist attractions, among which the FiveFingersPeak and the Five Ponds are very famous. The FiveFingersPeak with an elevation of 1583 meters above sea level is the highest peak and major symbol of Jinggangshan. It is so named because the peak resembles five fingers. The fame of the FiveFingersPeak grows with the print of its picture on old 100-yuan RMB bill. Fairy Pond, the most beautiful of the Five Ponds, is at the foot of a 40-meter waterfall. The pond was named for its resemblance to a fairy in white dancing on the rocks.

However, compared with the humanity landscapes, the natural landscapes are secondary. Jinggangshan is known as the birthplace of the Chinese Red Army and the cradle of the Chinese revolution. After the Kuomintang turned against the Communist Party during the Shanghai Massacre of 1927, the Communists either went underground or moved to the countryside. Following the unsuccessful Autumn Harvest Uprising in Changsha, Mao Zedong led less than 1000 soldiers to Jinggangshan.

Very soon, Zhu De and his 1000 remaining soldiers, who had participated in the abortive Nanchang Uprising, joined Mao Zedong toward the end of April 1928. Together the two proclaimed the formation of the Fourth Red Army. The partnership between Mao Zedong and Zhu De marked the heyday of the Jinggangshan base area with a population of more than 500,000 including more than 8000 soldiers in 1928. A popular story from that period recounts the hardworking Zhu De carrying grain for the troops up the mountain. It was also around this period that Mao Zedong formulated his theories of countryside-based revolution and guerrilla warfare. Of the five mountain passes, the most famous is the 1,343-meter-high Huangyangjie, locked in fog and clouds throughout the year. In the autumn of 1928, the Red Army won a battle there over Kuomintang troops 10 times their number, for which Mao Zedong wrote a poem praising the bravery of his soldiers. You will find that the stone stele, inscribed with Mao's poem, is never short of company as tourists wait in queues to take a snapshot.

And it was in the period that some revolutionary songs and ballads enjoying great popularity like Seeing the Red Army Off and Committee Member Mao With Us were created. These songs and ballads reflect the difficult circumstances the people and soldiers suffered and their deep love of each other.

Mao Zedong and his Red Army stayed in Jinggangshan for about 7 years until the Long March began. Nowadays, Jinggangshan has become an attraction for domestic tourists interested in revolutionary history, where you may walk along the 3.1 km-long path on which Mao Zedong and Zhu De passed when they carried grain with soldiers, call on a certain veteran of the Red Army, have a Red Army meal, and join others in singing revolutionary songs. In May 2004  a domestic airport was opened to attract tourists. And some scenic spots are furnished with cable cars. After General Secretary Jiang Zeming and General Secretary Hu Jingtao inspected Jinggangshan in 1989 and 2009 respectively, more and more domestic tourists visit the mountain.

Dear friends! Today, we’re going to visit Huangyangjie, Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in Dajing, the Fourth Red Army’s Mint in Shangjing, the Fourth Red Army’s Hospital in Xiaojing, and the Five Ponds. You may take advantage of the cable car, but it is greater fun to walk along the mountain paths.Now, go ahead to experience the Chinese patriotic zeal while enjoying the beautiful scenery in Jinggangshan!