Ganzhou

Ganzhou is in southern Jiangxi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzhou



Attractions in and around Ganzhou include;



Tongtian Cliff Grottoes are located northwest of Ganzhou, about 10 kilometers from the city. The grottoes, a famous scenic spot and popular summer destination, are well known for their collection of ancient grotto art and hold the largest complex of cliff grottos in Jiangxi Province, with almost 300 stone cases in the cliff-side and 359 stone Buddhas, most of which were carved during the Tang and Song dynasties. The sculptures are considered to be representative of the art of carving in China.The Scenic Area of Tongtian Cliff includes Tongtian Cliff, Wanggui Cliff, Tongxin Cliff, and Cuiwei Cliff.Tongtian (which means ‘Reaching the Sky’) Cliff has a cave with a hole leading to the cliff's summit. With over 300 statues of Buddha, the cliff has been a famous place for Buddhists for centuries. Originally, there were 116 inscriptions at Tongtian Rock and Wanggui Cliff, but only 97 remain. The inscriptions are not only records of the local history but also treasures of the ancient calligraphic arts. Wanggui Cliff is also called Lion Cliff because it is shaped like a lion. Between the cliffs are many statues in stone niches and cliffside inscriptions. East of Wanggui Cliff is Tongxin Cliff which is decorated with carvings of dragons and tigers which line one side of the cliff.



Ruijin is the capital of the Soviet Republic of China and there are many revolutionary sites located here. Revolutionary sites in Yeping Cun include the former residences of Mao Zedong and Zhude, the old site of the Central Workers and Peasants Democratic Government, Reviewing Platform of the Red Army, Cenotaph of Red Army’s soldier, Gonglue Pavilion and Bosheng Fort. Shanzhou Dam is 4 kilometers to the southwest of Ruijin, and the Central Workers and Peasants Democratic Government was located here between April 1933 and July 1934. Now visitors can see the former residences of Mao Zedong, Zhang Wentian, Xie Juezai and Deng Xiaoping, the old site of All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the old site of Lenin Elementary School. Yunshi Mountain is 18 kilometers to the west of Ruijin, with an old temple on the top of mountain. In October 1934, the Central Committee led the Red Army here to start the long march.

Yugutai park is located on the top of Helan Mountain which lies to the north of downtown of Ganzhou City.

Longnan. The circular houses in southern Jiangxi were first built by immigrants known as Hakka people, who were actually refugees fleeing from wars and natural disasters in central China as early as the last years of the Jin dynasty. The circular houses seen today in southern Jiangxi Province were mostly built in the last years of the Ming dynasty and the early years of the Qing dynasty. In Longnan, a county on the border between Jiangxi and Guangdong Provinces, there are more than 370 circular houses. Some of these are magnificent and placed under national protection. China Central Television has produced a documentary on the circular houses in Jiangxi. The circular houses reflect the life these immigrants led then. A circular house served as an independent community where families lived together with an ancestral memorial temple built in the center. A circular house had a high and thick rammed earth wall and stood as a fortress against invaders.The most legendary circular house in Longnan County is the Xinwei House in Guanxi Township. The giant circular house occupies an area of more than 10,000 square meters with its external wall more than 10 meters in height and 1 meter in thickness.

Yangling Forest Park is a provincial-level scenic area and national 3A level scenic area.

Flora and Fauna in Jiangxi

59% of Jiangxi's territory is covered with forest. Its timber reserve amounts to 250 million cubic meters, in addition to 1 billion plants of bamboo, both figures taking leading positions in the country. Most of the forests in the province belong to natural secondary forests. Coniferous forests occupy a larger proportion, with pine and masson pine being the major species. Tea-oil tree, tung tree and Chinese tallow tree are the major economic species scattering across the province.
The province boasts more than 4,000 species of seed plants, some 470 types of pteridophyte and over 100 types of bryophyte. Among the low plants, the varieties of large fungus alone are as many as 500. There are more than 2,000 species of woody plants, including over 400 kinds of arbor. Jiangxi is also home to many ancient trees, such as ginkgo, known as the "living fossil" of plants.
The good ecological environment characterized with rich water resource, changing topographies and wide coverage of vegetation ensures Jiangxi's abundance in wildlife. The 30 nature reserves cover a total area of 9,016 square km, accounting for 5.4% of the province's territory.
Jiangxi now has over 600 kinds of vertebrates, including over 170 species of fish which account for 21.4% of the national total of freshwater fish. There are more than 40 species of amphibious animals, accounting for 20.4% of the national total; some 70 species of reptiles, accounting for 23.5% of the country; 270 species of birds, accounting for 23.2%; and 50 species of beasts, accounting for 13.3% of the nation's total.
Fish and birds, large in number of species, have great economic value and therefore have the priority for protection. Poyang Lake presents an ideal winter shelter for migratory birds.
http://www.cbw.com/general/g14/g14.htm


Please click on the links for more...

Sika Deer http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/22Scenery558.html

Black Muntjac http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_muntjac

Finless Porpoise http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finless_porpoise

Siberian Crane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Crane

Masked Palm Civet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masked_Palm_Civet

Pangolin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin

Oriental White Stork http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_White_Stork

Great Bustard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Bustard

Chinese Merganser http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Merganser

For more on birds in and around the Poyang Hu area see http://www.4panda.com/special/bird/site/poyanghu.htm

South China Tiger (possibly, maybe, hopefully...)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Tiger
http://chinese.savechinastigers.org/node/275