Ji'an

( travelchinaguide.com, Wikipedia, chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2011-08-23

Location: Ji'an city is located in the central-west of Jiangxi province, neighboring Fuzhou, Ganzhou, Yichun, Xinyu and Pingxiang cities within the province. In the west, it borders Hunan province. The capital city of Jiangxi, Nanchang is about 219 kilometers (136 miles) from downtown Ji'an, Jizhou district.

Physical Features: Ji'an lies in the middle section of the Luoxiao Mountains on the middle reaches of Ganjiang River. Mountainous and hilly regions occupy more than seventy percent of its territory. Plains and hillocks make up a percentage of twenty-three of the city's land area.

Climate Features: Enjoying a subtropical humid monsoon climate, the city is bleak in winter and spring, hot in summer and dry in autumn. It usually rains in early summer. The annual average temperature maintains around 17.1-18.6 ℃ (62.8-65.5 ℉).

Demographics: According to the official website of Ji'an People's Government, there are 4,665,000 people living within prefecture limits. More than 99.7 percent are Han Chinese, and 16,504 people belong to 37 minority ethnical groups (mainly She, Miao and Mongoloid ethnic groups).

Wan'an Lake

Brief History: After the Qin (221BC-206BC) unified China, Luling County was established here, and hence its old name Luling. Ji'an was also known as Jizhou since the Sui Dynasty (581-618). In the following hundreds of years, the Ji'an name was changed between Luling and Jizhou. It was in the year, 1295, of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) that its present name Ji'an was first used.

When to Go: April to October is favorable period to visit Ji'an, especially in April and May. The hillsides in Jinggangshan city are aflame with azaleas at that time.

Wugong Mountain

Special Local Products: black-bone chicken, kumquat, Gougunao Tea

Scenic spots:

Mt. Jinggang lies in the middle section of Lingxiao Mountains on the border area of Jiangxi and Hunan provinces. Grand peaks, strange rocks, tall old trees, amazing waterfalls, magnificent cloud sea, flowering azaleas and fascinating limestone caves make the mountain a top scenic area of Ji'an.

Ciping is a beautiful and neat mountain town. It is the seat of Jinggangshan city government and a place boasting the most compact Mt. Jinggang revolutionary sites. Wuzhi (Five Fingers) Peak is a natural park for animals and plants. Pictures of the mountains were printed on the back of 100-yuan note of the fourth edition of RMB. Longtan Scenic Area is 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from Ciping. Within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of the Wushen River, there are five waterfalls falling into five pools.

Climbing up the Bijia Mountain, there are azalea trees growing all over the ridges on two sides. Azalea flowers will be flourishing as the spring turns into summer. 

Ji'an Center of Culture and Art

Travel Tips:

1. Jinggangshan Airport situated in Taihe county, 30 kilometers (19 miles) from downtown Ji'an and 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Jinggangshan city. At present, it operates flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Beijing-Kowloon Railway passes Ji'an. Jiangxi-Guangdong, Taihe-Jinggangshan expressways and No. 105 and 319 National Highway make it much easier to access.

2. Ji'an Railway Station is situated in Qingyuan Lu of Qingyuan district. Jinggangshan Railway Station is in Taihe county. Ji'an Central Bus Station is located at 67, Jinggangshan Lu, Jizhou district.

Diaoyuan ancient village