Lushan Waterfall

Lushan Waterfall

“The sunlit Censer Peak exhales incenselike cloud; / Like an upended stream the cataract sounds loud. / Its torrent dashes down three thousand feet from high / As if the Silver River fell from the blue sky.” The bold words of Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, are truly breathtaking...

The poem refers to the Lushan Waterfall, located in the Xiufeng Scenic Area of Lushan Mountain in Xingzi County, Jiangxi Province. Suspended between the Twin Sword and Wenshu peaks, the waterfall is tightly embraced by two cliffs as it sprays forth, resembling a horse’s tail swaying in the wind—hence it is also called “Horse Tail Water.”

The Lushan Waterfall group has a long history. Many literati and poets throughout the ages have composed poems and inscriptions here, praising its grandeur and magnificence, which have brought it great renown. The most famous, naturally, is Li Bai’s “Viewing the Lushan Waterfall” from the Tang Dynasty, which has become a timeless masterpiece.

The most renowned waterfall in the Lushan group is the Sandie (Three-Step) Spring, hailed as the foremost wonder of Lushan. There is an old saying: “One hasn’t truly visited Lushan without seeing Sandie Spring.” The waters of Sandie Spring originate from Dayue Mountain, flow gently for a stretch, then pass behind the Five Elders Peaks. After descending stone steps across the mountain terrain, the water folds into three distinct tiers, hence the name Sandie Spring Waterfall.

Standing on the viewing platform in front of the Sandie Spring Waterfall, one can see a nearly hundred-meter-long white cascade plunging from the mouth of the northern cliff onto a large rock, then tumbling down to a second large rock, pausing briefly before spraying once more onto a third. The white ribbon of water hangs in mid-air, its three tiers clearly defined. As the ancients described: “The upper tier is like drifting clouds towing a silk ribbon; the middle tier, like shattered stones crushing ice; the lower tier, like a jade dragon racing through a pool.” And as the water splashes, even from over ten meters away, you can feel the mist on your face.

The ancients said: “The green pines of Mount Tai, the lofty ridges of Mount Hua, the sea of clouds of Mount Huang, and the waterfalls of Mount Kuang—all are peerless wonders of nature.” The beauty of Lushan has long been celebrated with the praise “The singular charm of Kuanglu outshines all under heaven,” and among Lushan’s many wonders, its waterfalls take the crown.

According to research, the name “Lushan” dates back to the Zhou Dynasty. The ancients were puzzled by how such a towering and beautiful mountain as Lushan could abruptly rise from the surrounding flat plains, and why it was home to so many waterfalls and streams. To explain the origins of Lushan and its springs and waterfalls, they created many myths and legends—one of which is the story of Qin Shi Huang driving mountains to block the sea.

Legend has it that while building his mausoleum, Qin Shi Huang obtained a magical whip of infinite power—one that could split mountains and crack the earth. When he struck a corner of Mount Li with the whip, that corner broke off and became an isolated hill detached from the Qinling Mountains. After a few more strikes, the mountain was driven all the way to the shores of Poyang Lake, south of the Yangtze River. It was dusk, and as darkness fell, Qin Shi Huang decided to take a rest and continue pushing the mountain into the sea to pave a path to the divine realm of Penglai the next morning. But that night, the Goddess of Mercy of the South Sea, who had lost her magical whip, heard the news and took advantage of Qin Shi Huang’s drunken slumber to steal it. The next day, when Qin Shi Huang awoke and tried to drive the mountain into the sea, it wouldn’t budge. Enraged, he lashed the mountain ninety-nine times, leaving it covered in welts and drenched in sweat—but it remained unmoved. Helpless, Qin Shi Huang threw the whip down and returned to the capital in despair. Since then, the mountain has remained rooted by Poyang Lake—that mountain is today’s Lushan. The ninety-nine whip marks left by Qin Shi Huang later became ninety-nine deep, silk-like valleys; the whip he threw away became the towering Mast Peak outside Dragon Head Cliff; and the sweat that poured from the mountain turned into the silver springs and waterfalls scattered throughout the ranges.

Address: Within the Lushan Scenic Area, Lushan City, Jiujiang

Type: Waterfall

Recommended visiting time: 2–3 hours

Opening hours:

April–November: 6:00–23:45; December–March: 6:00–23:45 (Ticket collection time: 8:00–16:00)

Ticket information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the general scenic area ticket.

The Poet Immortal Li Bai (February 8, 701 – December 762), courtesy name Taibai, art names Qinglian Jushi and Zhexian Ren, also known as Li Twelve, was a poet of the Tang Dynasty and is often mentioned alongside Du Fu as “Li-Du.” Li Bai’s collected works, The Collected Poems of Li Taibai, include masterpieces such as “Quiet Night Thought,” “Drinking Alone under the Moon,” and “Dream Journey to Tianmu Mountain: A Farewell Poem.” He brought ancient romanticist literature to new heights, excelling in song-style poetry and seven-character quatrains to levels unmatched by later poets. His achievements in yuefu poetry, song-style verse, and quatrains are considered the greatest; his style is bold and unrestrained, fresh and elegant, rich in imagination, with marvelous artistic conception and language—truly romantic, and deeply visionary... More details about Li Bai ++