Unlike the sweltering heat down in the plains, the mountain enjoys a refreshing breeze — a luxury that other places in Jiujiang can hardly offer. I am not one for frequent outings, preferring the chill of my air-conditioned home and watching anime on my computer. However, this time, Lushan called and I answered.

We went up by cable car, which was crowded with people. During the ascent, I was hit by a wave of stinky air and soon felt dazzled. After the cable car smoothed out, my dizziness faded away — thank goodness! Then, I was stunned, finding myself aloft in the sky, or in the clouds, with nothing but mist and peaks surrounding me. The wind rushed in, driving away the sweltering heat. At last, we reached the top, where the characters 天下庐山悠 were carved on the lawn.

Before going up the mountain, I had never thought that there were actually people living up there. In my ignorance, I had pictured Lushan as a tiny, uninhabited attraction like Mount She, with out residency. How wrong I was! Mount She is to Mount Lushan what an ant is to an elephant! It is more than just a place of interest — it is a living county hidden in mist.

Unfortunately, we had naively trusted Dianping, a Yelp-like app in China, and ended up in a remote homestay. We had to climb up and down stairs every time we went out or came back.

We randomly chose an restaurant to have lunch, and there were three stone-related dishes, including stone frogs, stone fish and stone fungi. Not only were they intriguing, they also tasted wonderfully spicy. The restaurant-keepers are so enthusiastic that they merely gave us chance to eat, constantly urging us to purchase the sauce. We rejected without mercy, at least I think so, but they did not give up easily.

After I had finished my online Chinese class, we formally started our trip. Late as it was, we still set off. Ruqin Lake is a vast artifical lake, resembling a violin, which gives it a graceful and poetic name. Near the lake stands Huajing Pavilion, named after the famous Flower Path beside it. Lushan Art Musume locates right on the path, where recently a personal art show has been taking place.

I am not much of a lake-walker but the tea biscuits won me over. They are perfectly balanced, not too sweet and not too dry. After all that walking, we were exhausted and ended the day after visiting Xianrendong, a cave said to be associated with Daoist immortals.