Jiujiang overview 九江

About Jiujiang

Suojiang Tower and its pagoda mark the river edge, while Yanshui Pavilion occupies a small island reached by a winding bridge. These monuments also connect the city with its literary and trading past. A city visit can focus on this river-and-lake contrast before a separate trip into Lushan.

The name Jiujiang first appeared under the Qin dynasty, when a commandery of that name administered from Shou County (寿春) covered the area, though no county existed here yet; its territory later shrank and was renamed Huainan commandery (淮南郡) by the Three Kingdoms period. A county was established at Chaisang (柴桑) in 201 BC, during the Han dynasty. The name Jiujiang became fixed in the Ming dynasty. The city was taken by Taiping Rebellion forces in 1853 and by Xiang Army troops in 1858.

In 1861, Jiujiang was opened as a treaty port under the Treaty of Tianjin (天津条约) and the Treaty of Peking (北京条约), and a British concession (九江英租界) of 150 mu (亩) was established between the Yangtze and Gantang Lake (甘棠湖) west of the city; the concession was returned to China in 1927. As the only stop in Jiangxi for the Yihe and Taigu (怡和, 太古) shipping lines, Jiujiang quickly overtook other towns to become the province's trade hub, developing into one of China's 'four great rice markets' (四大米市) and 'four great tea markets' (四大茶市). In the late nineteenth century, Guling (牯岭) atop Mount Lu became a noted summer retreat, known during the Republican era as China's 'summer capital' (夏都).

What to look for

• Suojiang Tower’s riverside setting beside the old pagoda.
• Yanshui Pavilion and the winding bridge across Gantang Lake.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jiujiang

Use Jiujiang railway station for the urban visit, then transfer to Binjiang Road for Suojiang Tower or to Gantang Lake for Yanshui Pavilion. Lushan railway station serves a different arrival area and is not in the old riverfront district.