Gao'an 高安市

History

A county called Jiancheng (建成) was set up here in 201 BC, covering today's Gao'an, Shanggao, Yifeng and Wanzai. In 622 it was renamed Gao'an to avoid the name of the Tang crown prince Li Jiancheng (李建成); the Song geography "Taiping Huanyu Ji" (太平寰宇记) explains the new name as land that "looks high yet is safe". In 1225 the prefecture seated here was renamed Ruizhou (瑞州), "auspicious prefecture", to avoid Emperor Lizong's name; a lingzhi fungus found at the same time on the hill behind the prefectural seat was taken as an auspicious sign. Gao'an stayed the seat of Ruizhou under the Yuan, Ming and Qing, and became a city in 1993.

What to see

Gao'an Museum (高安市博物馆) holds more than 10,000 objects, and its best-known group is a Yuan-dynasty hoard dug up in 1980: 239 pieces of porcelain, including 20 pieces of Yuan blue-and-white (one of them acquired separately) and 4 underglaze-red pieces. The museum's prize is a blue-and-white lidded jar with animal-head handles and decoration in 12 bands. A museum guide quoted by People's Daily Online says no collection in the world holds more Yuan underglaze-red pieces.

The Ruizhou prefectural yamen (瑞州府衙), rebuilt on its original site and opened in 2022, uses phantom-imaging projections and shaped screens to tell the history of Ruizhou and of Chinese government offices. The Wu Youxun Science and Education Museum (吴有训科教馆) honours the physicist Wu Youxun (吴有训), a founder of modern physics research in China whose students included Qian Sanqiang, Yang Zhenning and Deng Jiaxian. Daguan Tower (大观楼), on the Jin River beside the city government on North Street, is the city's landmark; North Street was rebuilt after Japanese troops burned the town.

Food and local products

Gao'an dried tofu skin (腐竹) is a national geographical-indication product, with the Daguanlou brand the best known. The city also makes baijiu, of which Rui liquor (瑞酒) is a known Jiangxi label. Local tea-picking opera (采茶戏) is one of the traditions the city promotes, and Gao'an carries the title of a Chinese hometown of calligraphy.

Getting oriented

The Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway passes through Gao'an, as does National Highway 320. Its neighbours within Yichun are Fengcheng, Zhangshu, Shanggao, Yifeng and Fengxin.

Highlights

• Gao'an Museum 高安市博物馆: Holds the Yuan hoard found in 1980: 239 porcelain pieces, with 20 pieces of Yuan blue-and-white.
• Ruizhou prefectural yamen 瑞州府衙: Prefectural office rebuilt on its original site, opened in 2022.
• Daguan Tower 大观楼: City landmark on the Jin River bank.
• Gao'an tofu skin 腐竹: National geographical-indication product.