The Lushan Mountain has a long history and distinct cultural style. It has been over 2,100 years since the great historian Sima Qian wrote the word Lushan Mountain into the "Records of the Historian".
It is said that Kuang Shu was the first recluse in the Lushan Mountain, he lived here for escaping from a war during the alternative period between Yin and Zhou Dynasties. After then, the Lushan has become an ideal place for recluses.
The Huiyuan, an eminent monk of Jin Dynasty, established the Donglin Temple in 387 A. D. He translated Buddhist Scripture into Chinese and popularized the Buddhism in China. The Donglin Temple has become the ancestral temple of the Pure Land Sect in China. The famous poet Tao Yuanming of Jin Dynasty (317-420 A. D.) came back to the Lushan Mountain because he hated to follow the officialdom's corruption. He farmed at the foot of Lushan Mountain, and created the pastoral poetry school for praising the rural scenery. The famed Taoist Missionary Lu Xiujing built the Taoist temples at the foot of Zixia Peak, and strived for collecting and sorting out the Taoist sutras, medical prescriptions and magic figures. He founded the basis of Taoist scriptures. After then, the Taiping Palace was built by the Li Longji, an emperor of Tang Dynasty (618-907 A. D.). During the Tang Dynasty, An Imperial College was set up in the Lushan Mountain, and finally become one of four famous ancient academies in China. During the Tang and Song Dynasties (618-1279 A. D.), many great poets, such as Li Bai, Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo, were pouring in the Lushan Mountain, and viewed it as their ideal homeland. A famous poem by Su Dongpo said that “I could not see the true appearance of the Lushan Mountain because I am just in it”. This poem tells us that the beauties of Lushan Mountain are hard to be described in word. From the Jin Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it is estimated that a total of over 3,000 poems was wrote by over 1,500 poets. The first emperor of Yuan and Qing Dynasties visited the Lushan Mountain respectively. A British missionary visited the Lushan Mountain at the end of Qing Dynasty and built villas there. Up to the 1930s, over 1000 villas of different state styles had been built in the Lushan Mountain. It makes the Lushan Mountain be a world-villa museum.
The Lushan Mountain had become a cultural center for several times during its long history. It has formed a unique Lushan Mountain Culture.
(1) It is one of the birthplaces of pastoral poetry in China
Xie Lingyun is the first pastoral poet in China, he wrote a large amount of poems to praise the natural beauties of Lushan Mountain. Xie, Tao Yuanming and Huiyuan are also important persons for pastoral poetry.
Since the Jin Dynasty, it is estimated that a total of over 16000 poems for praising the beauties of Lushan Mountain was wrote by over 3500 poets, writers, politicians and artists, etc. Among them, some poems are the literary masterpieces in the Chinese literature history.
(2) Flourishing religious culture
The earliest Taoist and Buddhist temples were built in the middle of fourth century. The Taoism and Buddhism took the Lushan Mountain as their important place for popularizing their religions.
The Lushan Mountain was a key site of Zen Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, there were six different sects of Buddhism at that time.
An emperor of Tang Dynasty built a Taoist temple "Jiutianshizhu Temple" in 731 A. D.. It was re-named as the "Lushan Taiping Palace" in the North Song Dynasty (960-1127 A. D.).
The emperors of the Ming Dynasty worshipped the Buddhist temples in Lushan Mountain, and they built many Buddhist temples there.
Being its important position at the Buddhist history in China, the World Buddhist Meeting was held in the Lushan Mountain in 1924.
In the modern time, the Catholic, Christian, Islamism churches were occurred earlier or later in the Lushan Mountain.
(3) Holy land for teaching and "Neo-Confucianism"
The White Deer Cave Academy of Classical Learning was at the first place of four famous academies of classical learning in China. Zhu Xi proposed his teaching thought here which is a glorious page in the Chinese education history. It is also of influence in the world education history.
Due to the presence of Zhu Xi, The White Deer Cave Academy of Classical Learning was the holy land for the "Neo-Confucianism". The Neo-Confucianism has influenced the 700 years' history of China. This teaching thought is also important in the philosophic history of China.
Many famous Neo-Confucianists of different generations, such as Lu Jiuyuan, Hu Juren and Wang Shouren, had cultivated a large amount of talents in this Academy. For example, more than 500 scholars studied in the Bailu Academy of Classical Learning in 1498.
(4) Outstanding scientific culture
The scientific culture in the Lushan Mountain stands an important position in the Chinese scientific culture history.
The warm spring in the Lushan Mountain is one of the earliest medical springs in China.
The Xilinsi Pagoda is one of earlier dense eaves brick pagodas in China.
There is an ancient famous astronomical observation instrument in the "Taiping Palace".
The structure of Guanyin Bridge, which is composed of 105 mosaic stones, is unique. It is one of the major historic and cultural sites under state protection.
The hypothesis of Quaternary glaciations in the Lushan Mountain by Li Siguang shocked the contemporary geological community of the world.
The botanist Hu Xuanxiao and others set up the first botanical garden in China for scientific purose in Lushan Mountain in 1934. Now, this garden has established close relationships (such as the seed exchange) with more than 270 institutions belonging to 80 countries.
(5) Emperors' contributions to the Lushan Mountain culture
From the Qin Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, more than ten emperors made their contributions to the Lushan Mountain culture. Among them, Emperors Qinshi Huang, Hanwu Di, Jin'an Di, Liangyuan Di and Li Jing visited the Lushan Mountain.
Many emperors viewed the Lushan Mountain as the symbol of imperial power. They built the academy of classical learning, temples or gave names to temples. These emperors carried forward the Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism of Lushan Mountain in different ways. Some of them wrote poems or other works for praising the Lushan Mountain. The emperor Cheng Zu of Ming Dynasty issued the imperial edict for closing the Lushan Mountain in order to protect the natural environment of Lushan Mountain.
(6)Villa culture: At the beginning of 20th century, many foreign missionaries and businessmen from 17 countries started to build many villas of different styles. Among them, 636 villas are still perfectly preserved in the Lushan Mountain. When stepping into the villa area, you will find yourself in a museum of world villas. Different villas in different localities display a charming picture.
During the period of Republic of China (1912~1949), the Lushan Mountain once became its summer capital.
During the period of 1959~1970, three important meetings of the CCCP were held in the Lushan Mountain.
On December 6, 1996, the Lushan Mountain was approved as the World Cultural Landscape and to be inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee under the UNESCO. It indicates that the exceptional and universal value of the Lushan Mountain has been notified by the world again.