Jiujiang's Big Lone Mountain

Jiujiang's Big Lone Mountain

Big Lone Mountain is uneven in height, with one end higher than the other. From a distance, it resembles a giant shoe floating on the blue waves, hence it is also known as "Shoe Mountain." It rises about 70 meters above the lake surface, with a circumference of over a hundred meters. A single peak stands tall, steep and graceful. In ancient times, it was called the "Penglai Fairy Island." The mountain is covered with upright pines and lush green trees, and among the woods stands a beautiful ancient structure—the Tianhua Palace. The palace buildings are majestic, the statues splendid, and the sounds of morning bells, evening drums, and Buddhist chants create an ethereal atmosphere that makes one feel as if they are in a heavenly realm. From the top, one can take in the vast expanse of Poyang Lake’s misty waters and the picturesque scenery of Mount Lu to the west. The Ming Dynasty poet De once wrote: "Who carved the green lotus, planting it alone in Peng Lake? It shares the clouds with the Five Elders, drawing water from afar at Jiujiang. Sun and moon are swallowed and spewed, mist and rosy clouds flow back and forth. Mighty, it blocks the raging waves, existing from the beginning with the heavens."

There is also a local myth about the Shoe Mountain, the lake island. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a fisherman named Hu Qing who encountered the heavenly fairy Da Gu while fishing on the lake. They fell in love and got married. When the local fishing tyrant Sheng Tai found out, he tried to seize Da Gu. Upon learning of this, the Jade Emperor sent heavenly soldiers to take Da Gu away, and Sheng Tai seized the opportunity to capture Hu Qing. Da Gu then dropped a embroidered shoe from the heavens, which crushed Sheng Tai and his gang, and this shoe turned into Shoe Mountain. Shoe Mountain is also called Da Gu Mountain, a name likely derived from this story.

To the southwest of Shoe Mountain, there is a rocky promontory that juts into the lake. At the tip of this promontory lies an isolated, tapering stone pillar about 16 meters high, with a base diameter of 11–12 meters. It looks like a large frog with its mouth facing Poyang Lake and its back against Mount Lu, crouching noisily on the lakeshore. Like Shoe Mountain, it is an unfinished “lake remnant” sculpted by the waves. The side facing the lake is eroded by wave action, causing the lower part to gradually recede inward while the upper part appears protruding and suspended above the water. From a distance, it vividly resembles a frog braving the waves, leaping eagerly toward Shoe Mountain across the lake—truly lifelike.