The thirty-kilometre trip from Jiujiang takes two hours on the sharply twisting road, with sparkling views back over the great lake and its junction with the Yangzi. There's a pause at the top gates for passengers to pay an entry fee (¥50), then it's a short way to GULING township in Lu Shan's northeastern corner, whose handful of quaintly cobbled streets, stone villas and bungalows harps back to the colonial era. The one sight in town is the very European Meilu Villa on Hexi Lu, former residence of Chiang Kaishek and of interest simply because it is one of the few exhibitions in China to so much as mention the Generalissimo. Other than this there are some nice views around the centre of Guling's mosaic of red roof tiles and grey buildings nestled among the fir trees.

 

Buses arrive on He Dong Lu immediately after emerging from a tunnel into town (though minibuses from Jiujiang might terminate anywhere). Fifty metres downhill on the right is a pedestrian mall leading through to Jiexin Garden and Guling Lu. Most essential services are either in the mall or on Guling Lu: souvenir shops selling maps , a post office, Bank of China (though larger hotels are a better bet for exchanging travellers' cheques) and a market selling vegetables, bananas, peaches and lychees.

There are plenty of restaurants in Guling, mostly good value despite the numbers of tourists, and some post their menus and prices outside. At the junction of the mall and He Dong Lu, the inexpensive Fenghua serves dumpling breakfasts and simple meals during the rest of the day. More upmarket options include a Sichuanese place diagonally opposite, and a cheapish, uninspired Cantonese diner across from the park on Guling Lu. For local flavours - mountain fungus and fish - try the stalls and open restaurants around the market, or the Wurong Canting, above a teashop in the mall.

Leaving Lu Shan is fairly simple, though due to the one-way road system in Guling, departing buses and their ticket offices are on Guling Lu, separate from the arrival points. It's essential to book tickets the day before departure. Regular buses head to Jiujiang, Nanchang and beyond; if you can't find direct services, go first to Jiujiang for Wuhan for roads east, and Nanchang for southern or westerly destinations.