Jinggangshan Scenic Area is located in Jinggangshan City, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, a national nature reserve, and a national classic red tourism scenic spot, known as "the cradle of the Chinese revolution". The total area of the scenic area is approximately 130.17 square kilometers, with the core scenic area covering 49.9 square kilometers. The average altitude is about 841 meters, and it has a subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 14.2°C. The forest coverage rate is as high as 86%, and it has the best-preserved secondary primeval forest at the same latitude in the world. The scenic area is characterized by the mutual reflection of red revolutionary sites and green natural scenery. There are more than 100 existing revolutionary sites and relics, including 21 national key cultural relics protection units and 24 provincial cultural relics protection units. It is a comprehensive tourist area integrating revolutionary tradition education, natural scenery appreciation, and leisure and vacation.
History and Culture
The core of Jinggangshan's history and culture is red revolutionary culture. In October 1927, Mao Zedong led the troops of the Autumn Harvest Uprising to Jinggangshan and established China's first rural revolutionary base, opening the revolutionary road of "encircling cities from the countryside and seizing power by armed force". In April 1928, the remaining troops of the Nanchang Uprising and the troops of the Hunan-South Jiangxi Uprising led by Zhu De and Chen Yi joined forces with the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army led by Mao Zedong in Jinggangshan, and were reorganized into the Fourth Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Zhu De served as the army commander and Mao Zedong as the political commissar. This event, known as the "Jinggangshan Meeting", laid the foundation for the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.
During the two years and four months of the existence of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base, the Red Army carried out many anti-"encirclement and suppression" struggles, forming the Jinggangshan Spirit of "firm faith, hard work, seeking truth from facts, daring to break new ground, relying on the masses, and being brave to win". In 1962, Comrade Zhu De inscribed for Jinggangshan: "The establishment of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base is a glorious page in the history of the Chinese revolution". Today, Jinggangshan has become a national patriotic education demonstration base and a national defense education demonstration base, receiving millions of tourists every year to receive revolutionary tradition education.
In addition, Jinggangshan retains Hakka cultural characteristics. Most of the local residents are descendants of the Hakka people, and they still preserve Hakka dialect, Hakka folk songs, Hakka diet and other folk cultures, which together with red culture constitute the diverse cultural connotation of Jinggangshan.
Main Attractions
Ciping Revolutionary Sites Group
Ciping Revolutionary Sites Group is located in the central area of Ciping, Jinggangshan, and is the center of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base. It covers an area of about 2 square kilometers and includes more than 10 revolutionary sites such as the former residence of Comrade Mao Zedong, the former site of the Fourth Red Army Headquarters, and the former site of the Hunan-Jiangxi Border Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Government. The former residence of Comrade Mao Zedong is a Hakka folk house with a civil structure, covering an area of about 90 square meters. Mao Zedong lived here from October 1927 to January 1929 and wrote important documents such as "Why Can China's Red Political Power Exist?". The former site of the Fourth Red Army Headquarters was originally a grocery store with an area of about 120 square meters, where Zhu De, Chen Yi and other leaders of the Fourth Red Army worked and lived. The Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum is also located in the sites group, with an exhibition area of about 13,000 square meters, displaying more than 3,000 revolutionary cultural relics and systematically showing the struggle history of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base.
Huangyangjie
Huangyangjie is located in the north of Jinggangshan, with an altitude of 1343 meters. It is one of the five major passes in Jinggangshan, named for its dangerous terrain and lingering clouds and mist, and is known as "one man guards the pass, ten thousand men cannot force it". In August 1928, the Red Army repelled the attack of four regiments of the Kuomintang army with less than one battalion of troops here, winning the famous "Huangyangjie Defense Battle". Comrade Mao Zedong then wrote "Xijiangyue·Jinggangshan" to commemorate this battle. The remains of trenches, artillery platforms and other relics of the Huangyangjie Pass are still preserved. Next to the pass, there is a monument to the victory of the Huangyangjie Defense Battle, which is 12 meters high. The front side is inscribed with "Monument to the Victory of the Huangyangjie Defense Battle", and the back side is inscribed with Comrade Mao Zedong's poem "Xijiangyue·Jinggangshan". Standing on the Huangyangjie viewing platform, you can overlook the mountains and sea of clouds with a wide view, and it is one of the iconic landscapes of Jinggangshan.
Longtan
Longtan is located about 7 kilometers northwest of Ciping, Jinggangshan. It is a famous natural landscape scenic area in Jinggangshan, covering an area of about 800 hectares, featuring waterfalls and canyon scenery. There are five waterfalls in the scenic area, namely Biyu Tan, Jinsuo Tan, Zhenzhu Tan, Feifeng Tan and Xiannv Tan, with a total drop of about 220 meters. Among them, Biyu Tan Waterfall has a drop of 67 meters and a width of more than 10 meters. The water hits the rocks to form a dark green pool, shaped like jasper; Xiannv Tan Waterfall has a drop of 40 meters, and the water flows down in two streams, shaped like a fairy dancing. A 3.5-kilometer-long tourist trail is built in the scenic area, with dense forests and gurgling streams along the way. The negative ion content is as high as more than 80,000 per cubic centimeter, making it a natural "oxygen bar".
Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery
The Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery is located on Beishan in Ciping. It covers an area of 400 mu and was completed and opened to the public in 1987. It was built in memory of the martyrs who sacrificed in the Jinggangshan revolutionary struggle. The cemetery consists of the Memorial Hall, the Monument, the Sculpture Garden, the Forest of Steles and other parts. The monument is 27 - meter - high, symbolizing the founding of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base in 1927. The base of the monument is engraved with reliefs of the Jinggangshan revolutionary struggle on all sides, and the front is engraved with the large - sized golden characters "Eternal Glory to the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs" inscribed by Comrade Deng Xiaoping. The Memorial Hall displays the names of 15,744 martyrs, including 15,144 martyrs with known names and 600 unknown martyrs. The Sculpture Garden houses statues of revolutionary leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhu De and Peng Dehuai, as well as group sculptures of Red Army soldiers and members of the Red Guards, vividly reproducing the heroic images of the Jinggangshan revolutionary period.
Bijia Mountain
Bijia Mountain is located at the southern end of Jinggangshan, named because its main peak is shaped like a writing brush holder. It has an altitude of 1357 meters and a total area of about 17 square kilometers, featuring primeval forests, azalea flowers and hanging plank roads. The forest coverage rate in the scenic area reaches 98%, with 23 species of national first-class protected plants such as taxus chinensis and emmenopterys henryi, and 13 species of national first-class protected animals such as yellow-bellied tragopan and white-necked long-tailed pheasant. The hanging plank road of Bijia Mountain is 3000 meters long with an average altitude of 1300 meters, among which 200 meters is a glass plank road. Walking on it, you can overlook the valley and sea of clouds, which is thrilling. Every April to May, tens of thousands of mu of alpine azaleas bloom on Bijia Mountain, with colors such as red, pink and white, forming a spectacular azalea sea, attracting a large number of tourists to watch.
Food
Red Rice
Red rice is a traditional staple food in Jinggangshan, made from red rice, a specialty of Jinggangshan. Red rice, also known as "rouge rice", is rich in protein, iron and various vitamins, with a slightly rough taste and a natural rice fragrance. In restaurants in Jinggangshan, red rice is often paired with pumpkin soup to reproduce the dietary scene of "red rice, pumpkin soup" during the revolutionary period. A bowl of red rice is priced at 5 yuan, which is a must-try food to experience the red food culture of Jinggangshan.
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin soup is a classic farm dish in Jinggangshan. It is made by cutting locally grown old pumpkins into pieces and boiling them in water without any seasoning, retaining the original flavor of the pumpkin, with a sweet and refreshing taste. During the revolutionary period, pumpkin was one of the main foods of the Red Army. Now it has become a characteristic soup in Jinggangshan. A bowl of pumpkin soup is priced at 8 yuan, often eaten with red rice, symbolizing the spirit of hard work in Jinggangshan.
Smoked Bamboo Shoots with Pork
Smoked bamboo shoots with pork is a Hakka specialty dish in Jinggangshan, made from smoked bamboo shoots, a specialty of Jinggangshan, and pork belly. Smoked bamboo shoots are dried products made by roasting fresh bamboo shoots over charcoal fire, with a golden color and a crisp taste. When braised with pork belly, the fragrance of bamboo shoots and meat blends, with a rich flavor. A serving of smoked bamboo shoots with pork is priced at 48 yuan, which can be tasted in local restaurants such as "Hakka Restaurant" in Ciping.
Surrounding Food
Longshi Town, Jinggangshan City, about 30 kilometers away from the Jinggangshan Scenic Area, has more Hakka characteristic foods, such as "Hakka stuffed tofu", which is made by hollowing out the middle of tofu and filling it with meat stuffing and steaming, priced at 32 yuan per serving; "Hakka glutinous rice wine" is fermented from glutinous rice, with low alcohol content and a sweet and mellow taste, priced at 25 yuan for a 500ml bottle. "Old Street Restaurant" in Longshi Town is famous for making traditional Hakka dishes, with an average consumption of about 50 yuan per person.
Tickets
The ticket price is 160 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "井冈山旅游" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
It is open all year round, with specific opening hours as follows:
- Peak season (February 16 - November 15): 8:00 - 17:30;
- Off-season (November 16 - February 15 of the next year): 8:30 - 17:00. The opening hours of all attractions in the scenic area are the same as those of the scenic area. The Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum is closed every Monday (except legal holidays), with opening hours from 9:00 to 16:30.
Tour Route
Recommended three-day route combining red culture and natural landscape: Day 1: Arrive in Jinggangshan in the morning, go to Ciping Revolutionary Sites Group, visit the former residence of Comrade Mao Zedong and the former site of the Fourth Red Army Headquarters to learn about the establishment process of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base; in the afternoon, visit the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery to pay tribute to revolutionary martyrs, then visit the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum to systematically learn about the revolutionary history of Jinggangshan, and stay in Ciping that night. Day 2: Go to Huangyangjie in the early morning to visit the pass site and monument to feel the historical atmosphere of the Huangyangjie Defense Battle; go to Longtan Scenic Area at 10:00 am to hike and watch the natural landscape of five pools and five waterfalls; go to Bijia Mountain in the afternoon to experience the hanging plank road and watch the primeval forest scenery, then return to Ciping for dinner. Day 3: Visit the former site of the First Hunan-Jiangxi Border Congress in the morning to learn about the political power construction history of the Jinggangshan Base; taste special foods such as red rice and pumpkin soup in Ciping at noon; go to the Jinggangshan Meeting Memorial Hall in the afternoon to learn about the historical details of the "Zhu-Mao Meeting" and end the trip at 15:00. This route is about 50 kilometers in total, taking into account red education and natural sightseeing, suitable for all types of tourists.
Transportation
- Sightseeing bus: The scenic area has sightseeing bus connections, priced at 80 yuan per person, valid for 5 days, covering all major attractions, with a frequency of every 30 minutes.
- External transportation:
- Airplane: Jinggangshan Airport is located in Taihe County, Ji'an City, about 80 kilometers away from the scenic area. There are tourist buses directly from the airport to Ciping, Jinggangshan, with a journey of about 1.5 hours and a ticket price of 30 yuan per person;
- Train: Take the train to Jinggangshan Station (located in the new urban area of Jinggangshan City), and take the tourist special line bus to Ciping after exiting the station, with a journey of about 40 minutes and a ticket price of 5 yuan per person;
- Self-driving: Starting from the urban area of Ji'an, take the Daguang Expressway and transfer to the Taijing Expressway to exit at Jinggangshan, then enter Ciping via S544 provincial road, with a total distance of about 130 kilometers and a journey of 2 hours. The parking fee in the scenic area is 10 yuan per day;
- Long-distance bus: Ji'an Bus Station has direct buses to Ciping, Jinggangshan, once an hour, with a journey of 2.5 hours and a ticket price of 40 yuan per person.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Ciping Revolutionary Sites Group: There are more than 10 revolutionary sites within 2 square kilometers. The Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum displays more than 3,000 cultural relics, included in the combined ticket.
- Huangyangjie: At an altitude of 1343 meters, it is the site of the "Huangyangjie Defense Battle", where you can watch the sea of clouds and the monument, included in the combined ticket.
- Longtan: Five waterfalls with a total drop of 220 meters, and a 3.5-kilometer tourist trail passing through the primeval forest, included in the combined ticket.
- Jinggangshan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery: A 400-mu memorial area commemorating 15,744 revolutionary martyrs, open for free.
- Bijia Mountain: A 3000-meter hanging plank road (including a 200-meter glass plank road) and a sea of ten thousand mu of azaleas, included in the combined ticket.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to travel for 3 days. The best tourist seasons are April-May (when azaleas are in bloom) and September-October (with clear and crisp autumn weather, suitable for hiking).
- The scenic area has many mountains, so you need to wear comfortable sports shoes. Longtan, Bijia Mountain and other scenic areas have long hiking distances, so you can carry trekking poles with you.
- When visiting red attractions, it is recommended to hire a guide (the guide fee for Ciping Revolutionary Sites Group is 50 yuan per time) to have a deep understanding of the historical background.
- Ciping is the core service area of the scenic area, with complete catering and accommodation facilities. The price of standard rooms is 150-400 yuan per night, and you can choose to stay here.
- To taste food, you can choose the "Red Army Meal" in Ciping, which includes red rice, pumpkin soup, fried smoked bamboo shoots, etc., with an average consumption of about 30 yuan per person, to experience the diet during the revolutionary period.
Precautions
- Loud noises and chasing are prohibited in revolutionary sites and martyrs' cemeteries. It is necessary to remain solemn and respect history.
- The forest coverage rate in the scenic area is high. Smoking and the use of open flames are strictly prohibited. Violators will be fined 200-500 yuan, and those with serious circumstances will be held legally responsible.
- Shoe covers (5 yuan per pair) are required for the glass plank road on Bijia Mountain. Those who are afraid of heights should enter with caution. Running and jumping are prohibited on the plank road.
- Some road sections may be slippery during the rainy season (April-June), so please take anti-slip measures; the ultraviolet rays are strong in summer, so please take sun protection measures.
- When purchasing specialties such as red rice and dried bamboo shoots, it is recommended to buy them in regular supermarkets in Ciping to avoid buying counterfeit products from mobile vendors.