Province · East China
Jiangxi
江西
Porcelain, Poyang Lake and the mountains of the Gan River basin
Jiangxi is an inland province of south-eastern China, almost coextensive with the basin of the Gan River, which flows north into Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, and the Yangtze. Its capital is Nanchang; the province is known for the imperial porcelain of Jingdezhen, the mountains of Lushan, Sanqingshan and Longhushan, the Hakka south around Ganzhou and its place in the early history of the Chinese revolution.
Key facts
- Capital
- Nanchang
- Abbreviation
- 赣 (Gàn)
- Area
- about 166,900 km²[1]
- Resident population
- 44.74 million(as of end of 2025)[2]
- Gross regional product
- CNY 3.60 trillion(as of 2025)[2]
- Census population
- 45.19 million(as of 2020 census)[3]
- Divisions
- 11 prefecture-level cities[1]
- UNESCO World Heritage sites
- 4, two of them shared (1996–2010)[4]
Profile
- Chinese name
- 江西
- Abbreviation (简称)
- 赣
- Type
- Province
- Region
- East China
- Capital
- Nanchang
- Area
- about 166,900 km²
- Divisions
- 11 prefecture-level cities
- Ethnic groups
- Han, She, Hui, Zhuang, Manchu
- Languages
- Gan, Hakka, Hui, Wu
Languages
Gan
赣语
The main Chinese variety of the province, spoken in the north and centre, with Nanchang speech as reference.
Hakka
客家话
Spoken across the south around Ganzhou, one of the Hakka heartlands.
Hui
徽语
Spoken in Wuyuan and neighbouring counties that once belonged to Huizhou.
Wu
吴语
Spoken in parts of Shangrao near the Zhejiang border.
Name and abbreviation
The name is short for Jiangnan Xi Dao (江南西道), the “Western Circuit of Jiangnan” created by the Tang in 733. It does not mean “west of the river”, although the province does lie west of the lower Yangtze region. The abbreviation 赣 comes from the Gan River, which drains nearly the whole province.
Historic names
豫章
Han commandery centred on Nanchang, used as a literary name for the city and the region.
洪州
Sui to Song name of the Nanchang prefecture; the city is still called Hongcheng.
吴头楚尾
“head of Wu, tail of Chu”
Old description of the region as the borderland between the Warring States of Wu and Chu.
物华天宝，人杰地灵
Phrase from Wang Bo's Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, used ever since as an epithet of Jiangxi.
Land and climate
Jiangxi is a basin enclosed on three sides by mountains — the Mufu and Jiuling ranges to the north-west, the Luoxiao Mountains on the Hunan border, the Nanling to the south and the Wuyi Mountains to the east — and open to the north, where its rivers converge on Poyang Lake and the Yangtze. Hills of red sandstone and granite cover much of the land, while the Poyang plain in the north is low and fertile. Forest cover is among the highest of any province.
Landforms
Poyang Lake Plain
鄱阳湖平原
The rice-growing lowland around the lake.
Lushan
庐山
Fault-block mountain between the Yangtze and Poyang Lake, a World Heritage cultural landscape.
Sanqingshan
三清山
Granite pillars and peaks in Shangrao, sacred to Daoism, inscribed as a natural World Heritage site.
Jinggangshan
井冈山
Mountains on the Hunan border where Mao Zedong and Zhu De established their first base area in 1927–1928.
Wugongshan
武功山
Mountain with high grassy ridges in the west of the province.
Rivers and lakes
Gan River
赣江
The province's main river, flowing from Ganzhou north past Ji'an and Nanchang to Poyang Lake.
Poyang Lake
鄱阳湖
China's largest freshwater lake, whose area swells in summer floods and shrinks to channels and mudflats in winter, when it hosts most of the world's Siberian cranes.
Fu River
抚河
Flows north through Fuzhou (抚州) to the lake.
Xin River
信江
Drains the north-east past Shangrao and Yingtan.
Yangtze River
长江
Forms part of the northern border at Jiujiang.
Climate
Jiangxi has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers — Nanchang is known as one of the hottest cities on the Yangtze — mild, damp winters, and heavy rain from April to June that often causes floods around Poyang Lake. Lushan and the other mountains are cool in summer. Autumn is generally dry and clear, and winter is the season for birdwatching on the lake.
History
Neolithic Xianrendong cave in Wannian has yielded some of the oldest pottery in the world, and the Bronze Age tomb of Dayangzhou shows a rich culture linked to the Shang. The Han founded Yuzhang commandery at Nanchang. From the Tang the Gan valley was the main land route between central China and Guangzhou, and Jiangxi flourished in the Song and Ming as a region of scholars, printing and trade — it produced more successful examination candidates than almost any other region. Jingdezhen became the porcelain capital of the world under the Yuan and Ming. In the twentieth century the Nanchang Uprising of 1927, Jinggangshan and the Chinese Soviet Republic at Ruijin made Jiangxi the cradle of the Red Army.
c. 18,000 BCE
Pottery at Xianrendong
Sherds from the Xianrendong cave in Wannian are among the oldest known pottery in the world.
c. 1200 BCE
Dayangzhou tomb in Xin'gan
Hundreds of bronzes found in 1989 revealed a Bronze Age culture in the Gan valley contemporary with the late Shang.
201 BCE
Yuzhang commandery
The Han built a walled city at Nanchang as the seat of the commandery.
c. 1004
Jingdezhen named
The Song emperor Zhenzong gave the kiln town his era name, Jingde.
1180
White Deer Grotto Academy restored
Zhu Xi revived the academy at Lushan and wrote its rules, which became a model for Confucian education.
1363
Battle of Lake Poyang
Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Chen Youliang in one of the largest naval battles in history, opening his path to founding the Ming.
1369
Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen
The Ming established imperial kilns that supplied the court until the end of the Qing.
1 August 1927
Nanchang Uprising
Communist-led troops rose against the Nationalists; the date is celebrated as the founding day of the People's Liberation Army.
1927–1929
Jinggangshan base area
Mao Zedong and Zhu De built the first rural revolutionary base in the mountains of the Hunan–Jiangxi border.
1931–1934
Chinese Soviet Republic at Ruijin
The Communist state in southern Jiangxi lasted until the Long March began from Yudu and Ruijin in October 1934.
World heritage
World Heritage sites
Cultural · inscribed 1996
庐山
A cultural landscape of Buddhist and Daoist temples, Confucian academies and more than six hundred villas built by foreign and Chinese residents from the 1890s onwards.
Mixed · inscribed 1999 · shared
武夷山
Jiangxi's northern Wuyi range in Yanshan county was added to the Fujian site in 2017.
Natural · inscribed 2008
Mount Sanqingshan National Park
三清山
Granite pillars and peaks shaped like human and animal figures, above forests of great botanical diversity.
Natural · inscribed 2010 · shared
中国丹霞
Red-bed landscapes in six provinces; Jiangxi's components are Longhushan (with Guifeng).
Culture
Jiangxi's tradition is one of scholarship: the Song and Ming produced statesmen and writers such as Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, Huang Tingjian and Tang Xianzu, and the Jiangxi school of poetry and the Neo-Confucian academies of Lushan shaped Chinese letters. Daoism has a centre at Longhushan, seat of the Celestial Masters, and Buddhism a long history on Lushan, where the Pure Land school traces its origin. The south is Hakka country with its own houses, songs and dialects.
不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中。Bù shí Lúshān zhēn miànmù, zhǐ yuán shēn zài cǐ shān zhōng.
“I cannot see the true face of Mount Lu, only because I am within the mountain.”
— Su Shi, “Written on the Wall of Xilin Temple” (题西林壁), 1084
Opera, music and dance
Gan opera
赣剧
Regional opera of Nanchang, Shangrao and Fuzhou that preserves the old Yiyang singing style.
Tea-picking opera
采茶戏
Folk operas that grew from tea-picking songs and dances, especially in Ganzhou.
Nuo masked dance
傩舞
Exorcistic masked dances performed at New Year in Nanfeng, Pingxiang and Wuyuan.
Xingguo mountain songs
兴国山歌
Hakka folk songs of Xingguo county.
Crafts
Jingdezhen porcelain
景德镇瓷器
Blue-and-white, famille rose and thin-bodied porcelain; the city is a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art.
Ramie cloth
夏布
Summer cloth woven from ramie fibre in Wanzai and Fenyi.
Wuyuan She inkstones
婺源歙砚
Inkstones from the Longwei Mountain quarries in Wuyuan, one of the Four Famous Inkstones.
Festivals and customs
Celestial Masters of Longhushan
龙虎山天师道
The Zhengyi Daoist lineage of the Zhang family was based at Longhushan for many centuries.
Autumn sun-drying
晒秋
Villagers of Huangling in Wuyuan dry chillies, corn and chrysanthemums on bamboo trays across the rooftops.
Hakka walled houses
客家围屋
Fortified square houses of southern Jiangxi such as the Guanxi and Yanyi compounds in Longnan.
Cuisine
Jiangxi cooking (赣菜) is not one of the Eight Great Cuisines but is well known within China for its heat: chilli is used generously, often with fermented beans and pickles, and rice is the staple, including rice noodles. Freshwater fish from Poyang Lake, smoked and cured meats, and the steamed dishes of the south are characteristic.
Signature dishes
Nanchang mixed rice noodles
南昌拌粉
Round rice noodles tossed with soy sauce, chilli, pickles and peanuts.
Clay-jar soup
瓦罐汤
Soups slow-cooked in sealed earthenware jars inside a large charcoal urn.
Three-cup chicken
三杯鸡
Chicken braised with a cup each of rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil, traditionally linked to Ningdu.
Artemisia with cured pork
藜蒿炒腊肉
Stir-fried wild artemisia stems from Poyang Lake with smoked pork.
Rice-powder steamed pork
粉蒸肉
Pork coated in seasoned rice meal and steamed.
Specialities
Lushan Yunwu tea
庐山云雾茶
“Cloud and mist” green tea from the slopes of Lushan.
Nanfeng tangerines
南丰蜜桔
Small sweet tangerines from Nanfeng, sent as tribute since the Tang.
Gannan navel oranges
赣南脐橙
Navel oranges from southern Jiangxi, one of China's largest citrus regions.
Wanzai ramie
万载夏布
Handwoven ramie fabric.
Notable people
Tao Yuanming (365–427)
陶渊明
Poet of fields and gardens from Chaisang near Jiujiang, author of The Peach Blossom Spring.
Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072)
欧阳修
Song statesman, historian and essayist from Ji'an (Luling).
Wang Anshi (1021–1086)
王安石
Reforming chancellor of the Northern Song and poet, from Linchuan (Fuzhou, Jiangxi).
Wen Tianxiang (1236–1283)
文天祥
Southern Song loyalist from Ji'an, executed by the Yuan, remembered for his Song of the Righteous Spirit.
Tang Xianzu (1550–1616)
汤显祖
Playwright of The Peony Pavilion, from Linchuan; often compared with his contemporary Shakespeare.
Song Yingxing (1587–c. 1666)
宋应星
Author of the technological encyclopaedia Tiangong Kaiwu (1637), from Fengxin.
Bada Shanren (Zhu Da) (c. 1626–1705)
八大山人
Ming prince turned monk-painter in Nanchang, known for his expressive birds and fish.
Economy
Jiangxi's economy has grown quickly since the 2000s by attracting industry moving inland from the coast. Its resource base is strong: copper from Dexing and Guixi, tungsten and rare earths from the south around Ganzhou, and lithium from Yichun. Manufacturing includes non-ferrous metals, electronics, photovoltaics, aviation (Nanchang and Jingdezhen build aircraft and helicopters), cars, pharmaceuticals and ceramics. Agriculture — rice, citrus, tea, pigs and freshwater fish — remains important.
Main industries
- Copper smelting and processing (Jiangxi Copper)
- Rare earths and tungsten (Ganzhou)
- Lithium and battery materials (Yichun)
- Aviation manufacturing (Nanchang, Jingdezhen)
- Electronics and photovoltaics
- Ceramics
- Rice, citrus and freshwater fisheries
Zones, ports and hubs
Ganjiang New Area
赣江新区
National-level new area (2016) between Nanchang and Jiujiang.
Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone
鄱阳湖生态经济区
Regional development plan approved in 2009 that balances industry with protection of the lake.
Port of Jiujiang
九江港
The province's Yangtze port.
Cities
- Nanchang南昌Capital · Historic city · Industrial centreCity of the Pavilion of Prince Teng and the 1927 uprising
- Jingdezhen景德镇Historic city · Cultural centre · Industrial centreThe porcelain capital, home of the imperial kilns
- Jiujiang九江Port · Scenic area · Historic cityYangtze port at the foot of Lushan and the mouth of Poyang Lake
- Ganzhou赣州Historic city · Cultural centre · Industrial centreSong-walled city of the Hakka south and the Red capital at Ruijin
- Shangrao上饶Scenic area · Historic citySanqingshan, Wuyuan villages and the northern Wuyi
Getting there
- Nanchang Changbei International Airport is the main airport; Ganzhou, Jingdezhen, Jiujiang (Lushan) and Sanqingshan also have airports.
- High-speed lines link Nanchang with Shanghai and Hangzhou, Changsha, Fuzhou, Wuhan and Ganzhou; the Beijing–Hong Kong (Kowloon) railway runs through Jiujiang, Nanchang and Ganzhou.
- Jiujiang is the Yangtze river port; ships once linked Nanchang with the Yangtze via Poyang Lake.
Entry rules for foreign visitors are on the visa and entry pages.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Jiangxi Provincial People's Government — Jiangxi Provincial People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- 江西省2025年国民经济和社会发展统计公报 (Statistical Communiqué of Jiangxi on the 2025 National Economic and Social Development) — Jiangxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- World Heritage List: China — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Jiangxi — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
All provinces · 中国省级行政区
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