Guling Town, Lushan, Jiangxi, a summer resort

Guling in Lushan is one of the four major summer resorts in China. Although the temperature at the foot of the mountain easily exceeds 30 degrees Celsius in summer, the average temperature on the mountain remains between 20-25 degrees Celsius during the peak summer season, and you don't even need to turn on the air conditioner at night. Guling Town is surrounded by mountains at an altitude of about 1100 meters. The moderate temperature is the main reason for its coolness. In the Ming Dynasty, the Guling and Lulin areas of Lushan were forbidden mountains, strictly prohibiting logging and grazing, resulting in a high forest coverage rate and very fresh air. In 1886, British missionary Edward Selby Little was attracted by the cool climate and beautiful natural environment of Guling and planned to rent land to build a villa. He later obtained a lease from the government and gradually developed the area into a summer resort. The name Guling is derived from the English word "cooling." By the Republic of China period, Guling in Lushan had already become a sizable town with well-planned roads and complete urban facilities. There were more than 700 villas, of which over 500 belonged to foreigners and more than 190 to Chinese, making it a veritable "museum of international architecture." It was also equipped with hospitals, schools, markets, police services, etc., making it not much different from bustling towns at the foot of the mountain. Many people chose to move to the mountain before summer arrived and move back down before winter. The early builders and residents of villas in Guling were missionaries, businessmen from various countries, and people from all walks of life in China. During the Republic of China period, more than 2,000 foreigners came to Guling in Lushan to escape the summer heat, including over 1,000 missionaries from Britain and the United States alone. At that time, Western missionaries developed several summer resorts in China, the largest of which was Guling in Lushan. On New Year's Day in 1936, China officially took over Guling as a summer resort, and more and more celebrities came to Guling to escape the summer heat. Today, Guling Town is still a famous summer resort and the most important tourist distribution center in the Lushan Scenic Area. It is home to various hotels, inns, and homestays, as well as commercial streets, cinemas, post offices, and more. Many tourists choose to rest here while visiting Lushan. The villas in Guling Town are very distinctive, with some having blue roofs and others red roofs. Entering Guling Town feels like stepping into a magical fairy tale world. Due to the altitude and geographical environment, clouds and mist often visit, sometimes making it feel like being in a fairyland. I once stayed in Guling Town for a few days during the summer, and it was indeed very comfortable.