Having served as a cultural centre radiating far and wide and as a symbol of a specific period of history, Mount Lushan has developed a peculiar culture of its own.
(1)One of China’s birth places of landscape poetry
Xie Lingyun is China’s frist poet who wrote a large number of landscape poems. An important feature of Xie’s poems is their warm praise of the natural beauty of Mount Lushan.Togther with Tao Yuanming and Hui Yuan,Xie played a pioneering role in the development of landscape poetry in China.
Since the Jin Dynasty,about 1,500 men of letters,philosophers,statesmen,artists and scientists have written more than 4,000 poems to sing praise of the natural beauty of Mount Lushan.Many of these poems have become masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature.
(2)A prosperous religious culture
Both the earliest Taoist Altar of Zhenren and the earliest Buddhist Temple of Guizong in Mount Lushan were built in the middle of the 4th century,an indication that both Buddhism and Taoism used Mount Lushan as an important site for them to start and develop religious belifefs.
During the Tang Dynasty,Mount Lushan was an important service place for the Chan Sect.Living here were six Buddhist sects including the Jingtu Sects,the Lu Sect,the Linji Sect,the Weiyang Sect,and the Caodong Sect.
In A.D.371,Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty decreed to build the Taoist “Temple of Celestial Messengers”.The temple was renamed “Lushan Peace Palace”during the Northern Song Dynasty,eight emperors appointed officials to hold posts such as “palace and temple custodian”and “supervisor”in the palace,and many of their prime ministers had served as officials here.All told,114 people from the palace held official posts.
The rules of the Ming Dynasty held the Buddhist temple in Mount Lushan in even grester reverence. They decreed the construction of a large number of temples and monasteries. As a result, Buddism became extremely prosperous here.
Because of the important position Mount Lushan holds in the history of China’s Buddhism, the World Conference of Buddism was hold here.
Since modern times, numerous churches of Christianity and mosques of Islamism have been built in Mount Lushan.
(3)The holy place of education and “Lixue”
Of China’s four biggest ancient academies, the White Deer Cave Academy stands at the head of the list. The educational theory put forward by Zhu Xi here has left a glorious leaf in the education history of China and exerted important influences upon the education history of the world.
Due to advocacy by Zhu Xi, White Deer Cave Academy was at the same time turned into a holy place of “Lixue,” a major sect of Confucianism. “Lixue” has left its influences upon the Chinese history for 700 years since the Song Dynasty. It also occupies an important position in China’s history of philosophy.
Reputed “Lixue” scholars such as Lu Jiuyuan, Hu Juren and Wang Shouren of various dynasties had trained a large number of talents here. In 1498 alone, for instance, more than 500 people came to the academy to carry out advanced studies.
(4)An outstanding scientific and technological culture
The scientific and technological culture of Mount Lushan holds a very important place in China’s history of science and technology.
The Hot Spring in Mountain Lushan is one of China’s earliest fountains used for medical treatment.
The West Grove Temple is among the earliest China’s temples and monasteries to build a close-eaves brick pagoda.
The Xuanjiyuheng in the Peace Palace was a famous instrument for astronomical observation in ancient China.
The grotesquely structured Guanyin Bridge was wdaged together unevenly with 105 stone plates. It is an important site of cultural relics receiving key protection form the Chinese Government.
Government, The Ziyang Dam around the Poyang Lake is China’s biggest and earliest stone dam built at a port.
The theory of Quatenary glaciers put forward by Li Siguang sent a stir among the geological circle worldwide.
In 1934, Hu Xianxiao and other scientists set up the lushan Bontancial Garden, China’s first for scientific researches. The garden has now set up contants with 270 units in 80 contries and regions in seed exchange and other fields.
(5)Cultural contributions by the emperors of various dynastics
More than 30 emperors in China’s history made important contributions to the cultural development of Mount Lushan from the Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Those who climbed Mount Lushan included Qin SHIhuang, Han Wudi, Liang Yuandi, and Li Jing.
Emperors of various dynasties all regarded Mount Lushan as a aymbol of imperial power. The imperial court of Nantang. For instance, set up here the “state Academy of Lushan” Emperor Xuan Zong of the Tang Dynasty decreed the construction of the Temple of Celestial Messengers,” Tai Zu of the Ming Dynasty conferred the title “Lu Yue” upon Mount Lushan and built here the “imperial Tablet Pavillion,” Shen Zong of the Ming Dynasty order the Qing Dynasty conferred the title “Beauty Peak” to a temple here.
Indifference ways and forms, these emperors carried forward the Confucianist, Buddhist, and Taoist culture of Mount lushan. Some of them even prasised Mount Lushan in their literay works. Cheng Zu of the Ming Dynasty even ordered the closing of mount Lushan to tourists so as to protect its national environment.