Lake Lushan West Sea

Lake Lushan West Sea

Lushan West Sea is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a national forest park, and a national water conservancy scenic area.

The Lushan West Sea Scenic Area is situated in the northern part of Jiangxi Province and the southwestern part of Jiujiang City, spanning the counties of Wuning and Yongxiu. It is a large-scale mountain-lake scenic destination that combines Asia’s largest earth-fill dam reservoir, a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a national model Buddhist forest, a national water conservancy scenic area, and a national forest park. Approved by the State Council in 2005, the scenic area covers a total planned area of 495 square kilometers and consists of two main sections: the Lushan West Sea Lake area and Mount Yunju. Originally known as the Zhelin Reservoir, Lushan West Sea has a water surface area of 308 square kilometers, featuring 1,667 islands larger than three acres, a total capacity of 8 billion cubic meters, an average depth of 45 meters, visibility of 11 meters, and an atmospheric negative ion concentration of 150,000 per cubic centimeter, meeting national first-class standards for both water and air quality. The lake and its islands boast stunning scenery, home to the “panda of the water,” the freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta), and pristine mineral-rich hot springs known as sources of wellness and longevity. Mount Yunju has long been praised as “the foremost peak in Jiangyou, renowned across four hundred provinces,” with its main peak reaching an elevation of 969 meters. Atop the mountain lies the ancient Lotus City, home to the Zhenshu Zen Temple, which boasts a history of over 1,200 years and is the birthplace of the Caodong school of Chinese Buddhism. Four out of the five successive presidents of the Buddhist Association of China since the founding of New China have originated from here, earning it the title “the cradle of New China’s Buddhist leadership.” For a thousand years, the temple has upheld the disciplined practice of integrating farming with Zen meditation and was listed as one of the nation’s three model Buddhist forests in 1988.

Lushan West Sea Scenic Area

In recent years, under the correct leadership of the municipal Party committee and government, and with strong support from Wuning and Yongxiu counties, Lushan West Sea has remained committed to its development positioning of “one center and four bases” (a health center based on sacred mountains and holy waters, along with bases for sightseeing & leisure, water recreation, performance & exhibitions, and science education). It has stayed firm on the development goals of “establishing an image within two years, achieving progress within five years” and “creating a 4A-level attraction within two years, upgrading to 5A within five years.” The area has also upheld development measures focused on “five breakthroughs and one enhancement” as well as “advancing both project construction and core operations.” It has vigorously promoted the “3239 Project,” overcoming challenges and working diligently to achieve multiple breakthroughs in its operations.

Lushan West Sea Scenic Area

These achievements are mainly reflected in “six solid foundations”: First is a foundational strategy. The municipal Party committee and government issued Document No. 10, “Opinions on Further Accelerating the Development and Construction of the Lushan West Sea Scenic Area,” laying down a strategic blueprint. Both counties are implementing the requirements of Document No. 10. Second is arable land for growth. In line with “Document No. 10” and the “3239 Project,” the scenic area has prioritized the development of two key tourism hubs — Sima and Jin Kou ports — and two tourism towns. It also secured State Council approval for the overall plan, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development approval for four controlled plans of the two towns, and Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development approval for 12 project plans, establishing a platform for development. Third is a means for self-sufficiency. The area raised 120 million yuan to acquire all equity stakes in two tourism companies on the West Sea Lake previously held by Shenzhentong, and established the “West Sea Tourism Co., Ltd.” with a registered capital of 251.618 million yuan and shared equity between the two counties, in accordance with Document No. 10. This gave the scenic area control over tourism operations. Fourth is the essential resource. Over three years, through challenging land negotiations, public-private cooperation, and upper-level support, the management committee invested over 800 million yuan while enterprises invested nearly 8 billion yuan to complete or initiate a number of projects that are now generating returns. The newly acquired and managed “West Sea Tourism Co., Ltd.” achieved 222,000 visitors on the lake and islands in its first year, triple the figure from 2011. This set the scenic area on a path of stable development. Fifth is a secure base. Thanks to the “3239 Project,” the scenic area now has two major ports, a company managing core lake operations, and its own West Sea Hotel. At the end of last year, the management committee officially moved into the office and residential base at Jin Kou, bidding farewell to the previous inconvenience of renting offices and shops, and finally having its own home. Sixth is the root of prosperity. Over three years, officials took charge of zones and projects, emphasized practical work, strengthened oversight, clarified rewards and punishments, and pursued tangible results. This honed the team’s capabilities, boosted morale, and laid a solid foundation for the scenic area’s second phase of entrepreneurship and faster development.

Lushan West Sea Scenic Area

In 2015, Lushan West Sea continued to uphold its development positioning, goals, and measures, pushing itself further to seize opportunities. It sounded the call to action for “scaling up projects, pursuing a second entrepreneurial drive, and comprehensively creating a 5A-level scenic area.” It accelerated the development of four platforms, strengthened core business operations, spared no effort in advancing projects, and rigorously built a capable team, striving to make Lushan West Sea “China’s most beautiful lake-and-mountain scenery” and a “top-tier domestic and world-renowned” tourist resort destination.

Scenic Area Transportation:

Air: Fly to Nanchang or Jiujiang airports nationwide, then transfer to shuttle buses to Lushan West Sea Scenic Area

Train: Take trains to Nanchang, Jiujiang, or Yongxiu stations nationwide, then transfer to shuttle buses to Lushan West Sea Scenic Area

Bus: Nanchang to Lushan West Sea Tourist Direct Bus operates twice daily, serving tourists on a fixed schedule: Departs at 7:10 AM from Jiangxi Changyun Bus Station (Bayi Avenue) and returns at 10:30 AM; Departs at 1:30 PM from Nanchang Railway Station West Bus Station and returns at 4:00 PM, with direct service to Lushan West Sea Scenic Area.

Take a bus from Jiujiang South Bus Station to Zhelin Town (one bus per hour)

Take a Lushan West Sea Tourist Bus from Yongxiu Bus Station directly to Sima Tourist Port (one bus every half hour)

Independent Traveler Shuttle: After booking successfully with a local travel agency, tourists from Nanchang and Jiujiang can take independent traveler shuttles to the scenic area. Pickup locations are in front of the Provincial Stadium on Fuzhou Road in Nanchang, and near the Nonggongshang Supermarket at Sipier in Xiushui District, Jiujiang.

Self-Drive: From anywhere in China, go to Nanchang or Jiujiang, enter the Changjiu Expressway, transfer to the Yongwu Expressway at Junshan Interchange, then to the Meitang-Zhelin Interchange (Lushan West Sea East), leading to the Lushan West Sea Scenic Area.

National Inquiry Hotline: 400-845-1618

Information Source: Lushan West Sea Scenic Area, Jiujiang City

Zhelin Town: Located in the northwest of Yongxiu, Zhelin Town is embraced by Zhelin Lake on the west, borders National Highway 316 to the east, and is traversed by the Jiaowu Highway to the south. Buses depart continuously for Nanchang, Jiujiang, Wuning, Dean, and Yongxiu County, making passenger transport very busy. The town covers a total area of 172 square kilometers with a population of 12,000.

Zhelin Town has strong advantages for tourism development. In addition to Zhelin Lake, the Yijiahe Hot Springs in Yijiahe Village — known as the “orange township” — offer an ideal hot spring bathing experience, with water temperatures of 59°C and a daily output of up to 360 tons. The waters are especially rich in minerals such as zinc, iron, and sulfur, beneficial for treating cardiovascular... More details about Zhelin Town ++