Jingjiang Gushan Mountain

Jingjiang Gushan Mountain

Gushan Mountain is located about five or six kilometers north of Jingjiang city proper. As part of the Tianmu Mountain range, it is the only mountain on the North Bank of the Yangtze River, situated north of Nantong and south of Jinling, making it the sole mountain in the vast northern Jiangsu plain — hence its considerable fame. According to historical records, Gushan was originally a prominent reef standing in the middle of the Yangtze River. Over time, due to the impact of the river’s flow and continuous sediment deposition at its base, by the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it gradually emerged as land. The land continued to expand, and by the first year of the Hongzhi reign during the Ming Dynasty (1488), the entire mountain had risen above sea level, becoming a unique peak on this plain.

There are two very interesting legends about the formation of Gushan. One says that the sack used by the Eight Immortals’ Iron-Crutch Li, filled with mountain seeds, burst, scattering seeds of all sizes across the land — the smallest of which grew into Gushan. Another tale claims that when Emperor Qin Shi Huang was enraged, he struck a great mountain with his whip, splitting it into three parts: one flew to Nantong and became Langshan, another to Jiangyin and became Huangshan, while the third landed in Jingjiang and became Gushan.

Starting from the Ming Dynasty, the people of Jingjiang began to intentionally embellish and cultivate Gushan. Temples, shrines, monastic halls, and Buddhist pavilions were successively built on the mountain, turning it into a widely renowned tourist destination. Attractions such as the Niyun Archway, cliff inscriptions, the Bugu Pavilion, and the Wangjiang Tower inspire deep thought. The "living fossil" of folk culture — scripture storytelling, along with local handicrafts like clay art and the March 3rd Gushan Temple Fair, have fostered a profound cultural heritage on the mountain. During the annual temple fair on the third day of the third lunar month, merchants gather in large numbers, displaying a dazzling array of goods, creating a spectacular scene. In recent years, the Chengbei Industrial Park of Jingjiang Development Zone invested 12 million yuan to build the Gushan Cultural Square. Landscape trees, green lawns, and ornamental stones have freshly decorated the mountain's base, making Gushan a new business card for attracting investment in Jingjiang.

With its beautiful mountain scenery, grand architecture, and enchanting myths and legends, Gushan has captivated poets, scholars, and local officials with its rich cultural significance. They climbed the mountain to express their emotions, composed poetry in praise of it, and celebrated it to the fullest. There are dozens of poems praising Gushan recorded in old county annals alone. Some of these poems are of exquisite artistic quality and have become timeless masterpieces. The Qing Dynasty scholar Jiang Zhonghe praised Gushan in his poem "Lone Peak as a Pillar": “A glistening stone slumbers where the whale once lay, / From whence did this palm-like peak soar into the day? / Once a pillar of strength alongside Gold and Leaning, / Now it fortifies the land and guards the sea’s domain. / By night the galaxy rests as the river coils below, / While swallows and sparrows lightly chirp past its lofty brow. / Do not say the ends of the earth obscure Yu’s ancient way, / For at dusk, clouds rise where the imperial capital lies.” Contemporary locals in Jingjiang describe Gushan thus: “Gushan may not be tall, steep, or rugged, yet it still represents a kind of height.”