Location: lies in the joint of Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui provinces; stretching out along the southern bank of the Yangtze River

Neighboring Areas: Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui provinces

Physical Features: the topography descending from the south to north, with average altitude of 32m

Population: 4.37 million

Urban Population: 480,000

Area: 18,823 sq km

Nationalities: Han

History: firstly appeared in the Qin dynasty as one of those 36 counties established by emperor Qin Shi Huang , also called as "Chaisang" (in the Western Han), Jiangzhou (in the Tang dynasty)

Climatic Features: located at the juncture of mid-subtropical zone and subtropical zone with frost-free of 239-266 days

Average Temperature: 16C - 17C

Rainfall: average 1300-1600mm annually

Mountains: Mt. Lushan - on which many historical and scenic spots keep visitors there for a couple of days

Rivers: Gantang Lake, Nanmen Lake

Suojiang Tower is considered the symbol of Jiujiang; when traveling by boat, it is the first thing you see when you enter the city. Suojiang Tower was first built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to protect the low-lying city from floods. Seven-story Suojiang Pagoda was built later nearby. Visitors can walk to the top of the 35 meter high Pagoda via a wooden staircase where they will find spectacular views of the city and the Yangtze River.

Yingyue Pavilion (Moon Reflection Pavilion) is located in the center of Gantang Lake. From the Pavilion you can see green water rippling in the gentle breezes, rosy clouds reflected in the lake, and willow trees lining the lakeshore. The Pavilion is connected by a crooked bridge to the bank.

Nengren Temple¡¯s Great Victory Pagoda, built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is a seven-story, 43 meter high hexagonal structure. The temple¡¯s Stone Boat is a big concave stone that resembles a boat. On the boat sits the Iron Buddha. Legend has it that in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) a monk dreamed about an iron Buddha ferrying across the river in a stone boat. Unfortunately, this iron Buddha was destroyed and the existing one is made of concrete. Another site at the temple is the Twin Sun Bridge, straddling a pool, which is a three-arched stone bridge renowned for the two inverted images of the sun that can be seen from the east side of the pool.

Stone Bell Hill (Shizhong Shan) is located at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. According to legend, the Jade Emperor wanted to build Lingxiao Palace in Heaven, so he asked one god to carve two jade bells. When the two bells were completed, the Jade Emperor asked another god, the one with great strength, to carry the bells up to Heaven. When he was flying over the meeting point of the Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River with the two jade bells on his shoulders, he was distracted by the beautiful scenery and forgot his mission. As a result, he dropped the two bells without knowing it. One bell landed beside Poyang Lake. The other landed beside the Yangtze River, giving us the Upper and Lower Stone Bell Hills.

The most mysterious characteristic of Stone Bell Hill is the strange, bell-like sound that can be heard in the hills. There are three theories about the bell-like sounds. One is that the hill is shaped like a bell and is hollow inside; the other is that the rock, when struck, rings like a bell; and the third is that water, lapping into the nooks and crannies around the base, produces a bell-like sound.

Lushan National Park, about 16 kilometers from Jiujiang City covers 500 square kilometers and includes more than 90 mountain peaks. The tallest of these is Hanyang Peak, which soars to a height of 1,474 meters. The park features spectacular ravines, waterfalls, grottoes, rocks and rivulets.

Donglin Temple, situated at the northwestern foot of Mt. Lushan about 20 kilometers from Jiujiang, was initially built in 384 A.D. in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 by Huiyuan, a famous monk of his time, who was also the originator of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism (also named Lotus Sect). Tourists can share vegetarian food with the monks in the temple. Entering the dining hall, men sit in rows on the right side and women on the left. The monks stand in two lines reciting Buddhist scriptures, kowtowing to Buddha and playing religious music. Tourists must not make any noise when eating. If they want more food, they can draw circles in their bowl with their chopsticks and the monks will help them. When dinner is finished, monks will chant scriptures again to request the Buddha bless the tourists.