The Lushan Mountain lies to the south of Jiujiang City in Jiangxi Province, facing the Yangtze River in the north, and backing onto the Poyang Lake in the east. It covers an area of 302 square km. The Dahanyang Peak, the highest of the mountain peaks, rises 1,474 meters above sea level. Its topography is diverse and complex with many caves, waterfalls and brooks scattered around a whole host of mountain peaks. In 1996, the Lushan Mountain became a World Heritage Site.
The Lushan Mountain is a famous mountain with a history of more than 1,000 years and it is a combination of beautiful scenery, culture, and religious, educational and political elements. Numerous men of letters have come to climb the mountain throughout history, and they have left behind over 4,000 poems on the subject. The White Deer Cave Academy was one of the most important institutes of education and science in ancient China. The Lushan Mountain boasts various styles of architecture ranging from Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals to Byzantine structures, Japanese buildings and Islamic Mosques. Therefore, the Lushan Mountain boasts both magnificent natural landscapes and an abundance of splendid cultural connotations.
Among numerous villas on the Lushan Mountain, the Meilu Villa is a special feature of the cultural landscape which is unique to the Lushan Mountain. Its story tells a tale of the changing tides of modern Chinese history.
The Meilu Villa is located in the eastern valley of Guling, long considered a true treasure of a place. It consists of a 4,928 square meters courtyard and a main building which covers an area of 906 square meters. It was built by Britain’s Lord Lannoze in 1903, and transferred to Mrs. Bali in 1922. As Mrs. Bali had a close relationship with Soong Mei-ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), in 1934 it was presented to Soong. Chiang Kai-shek had a rock in the courtyard inscribed “Meilu” in Chinese in 1948, hence the name of the villa.
The distinctive architectural style and courtyard layout of Meilu stands out among the numerous villas on the Lushan Mountain. Hidden in the deep shade, the British villa looks so natural and graceful with its well-arranged layout and design. All kinds of the multifarious flora of the Lushan Mountain can be found here. It is a place of tranquil seclusion. Chiang Kai-shek’s life had so many connections with the Lushan Mountain. Over a period of over 20 years, the Meilu Villa was his summer capital. The villa was actually considered as a “presidential residence” because Chiang used it as his second political center and decision-making chamber in addition to Nanjing. He held conferences with other military leaders here almost every summer, and he met with many ambassadors of different countries in the villa. After the founding of the PRC in 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong visited the Lushan Mountain
for the first time in 1959, and stayed at the Meilu Villa when he attended a conference in 1961. And the CPC Central Committee held three important conferences on the Lushan Mountain, during which Chairman Mao stayed in the Meilu Villa twice. The villa is the only one that was used by the supreme leaders of both the KMT and the CPC on the Lushan Mountain. All these historical events that happened here lend this building an ever more distinguished and mysterious aura.
