14 Days in Nanchang

The 57.5-metre tower rebuilt in 1989 — the 29th version of a pavilion first raised in 653 — with Wang Bo's preface of 675 behind it, and the Wanshou Palace lanes after dark.

1. nanchang tengwang pavilion
2. nanchang wanshou gong street

A factual circuit — the former Jiangxi Grand Hotel headquarters of the 1 August 1927 uprising, the square monument, and the 128-metre fountain at dusk.

1. nanchang august1 uprising museum
2. nanchang bayi square
3. nanchang qiushui square

About 45 kilometres north, the tomb of Liu He — dead in 59 BC — was excavated from 2011 and the museum opened in September 2020, showing more than 5,000 bamboo slips and over 100 kilograms of gold.

1. nanchang haihunhou museum

The Qing manor near the Haihunhou site rows its courtyards deep — take the afternoon slowly among brick carvings, then the small-town street food on the way back.

1. nanchang wangshan tuku

Northwest of the streets the green wall climbs to 841 metres — the city's own roof — with bamboo valleys, tea rows and monastery courtyards under it.

1. nanchang meiling

A different gate into the same hills — gorge walks, small waterfalls and the ridge pavilions over the Gan plain.

1. nanchang meiling

The pagoda quarter's street breakfasts and a bridge-to-bridge afternoon at city pace.

1. nanchang shengjin tower
2. nanchang ganjiang riverside

South, where the Gan hands over to Poyang — China's largest freshwater lake — the reserve hosts the wintering geese and swans between November and February; the rest of the year, reed boats take over.

1. nanchang nanji wetland

A recovery lap of the shore and the night view of the tower lit across the water — bring the book.

1. nanchang ganjiang riverside

An honestly declared neighbouring-city day, about 1.5 hours by rail into Jiujiang: Guling, the stone resort town at around 1,100 metres — the mountain keeps its own pages under jiujiang, so this is a first look.

1. nanchang lushan day

One more morning on the mountain paths or the waterfalls, then the rail back to Nanchang by night.

1. nanchang lushan day

An honestly declared neighbouring-city day: kilns at work for a millennium, a town named for the Jingde reign era of 1004-1007, about an hour by the 2023 high-speed line.

1. nanchang jingdezhen day

A final sweep of the street-food lanes and the pagoda quarter, luggage half-packed and tea bought.

1. nanchang wanshou gong street
2. nanchang shengjin tower

A last look from the tower over the Gan before the station — the river runs from the mountains you visited to the lakes you watched.

1. nanchang tengwang pavilion