1. Home
2. China Provinces Guide > Sichuan > Sichuan Tourism Cities >

Zigong, a prefecture-level city, is located in the south part of Sichuan Province riverside of the Fuxi River, neighboring Leshan City in the east and Yinbin City in the south. Zigong is the third largest prefecture-level city in Sichuan, and one of the industry centers in Sichuan Province. It is 215 kilometers away from Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. Since a vast collection of dinosaur fossils have been excavated here, Zigong is also known as the "Home of the Dinosaur". Additionally, as Zigong is the originator of the Chinese Lantern Festival, Zigong is also called "Lantern Town in South China".

Facts of Zigong

Chinese Name: 自贡 ( zì gòng)
Population: 3,172,800
Area: 4,373 square kilometers (1,688 square miles)
Nationalities: Han
Administrative Division: 4 districts (Ziliujing, Da'an, Gongjing, Yantan); 2 counties (Rongxian, Fushun)

History of Zigong

The salt industry in Zigong has a history of more than 2,000 years, so Zigong is renowned as the "Salt City". Zigong is tightly connected with salt industry and the city is well-known for its 1,900 years of salt manufacturing history. People here began to drill wells to obtain well salt in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). It has made a name for itself as a salt capital since the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). In 1835, it had the first salt well in the world which exceeded one thousand meters deep at which time the salt manufacturing of the region reached its peak.

Geography of Zigong

Zigong is located in the southeast of Sichuan Province. Zigong metropolitan area occupies 4,373 square kilometers and the city proper occupies 814 square kilometers. Low mountains, hills, channels and vales comprise the main features of the city's terrain. The land slopes downward from the northwest to the southeast.

What to see in Zigong?

Zigong is famous for its salt industry from ancient China, and visitors can learn about the city with thousands of years of history through the Zigong Salt History Museum. There are another two museums in Zigong, the Chinese Lantern Museum and the Dinosaur Museum, respectively exhibiting a variety of lanterns and dinosaur fossils. Our Chengdu memories tour is a well-designed tour combining the best in Chengdu, Zigong, and other cities in Sichuan Province. Here we list Zigong Top Attractions.

Rongxian Giant Buddha	Xianshi Ancient Town	Zigong Shenhai Well
Zigong Dinosaur Museum	Zigong Salt History Museum	Zigong Colored Lantern Museum

Rongxian Giant Buddha is located in the eastern suburb of Rongxian County, was carved in Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Located next to the Leshan Giant Buddha, it is the second largest Buddha stature in China. In addition, Shuangxi Landscape and Feilongxia Scenic Area are excellent attractions for appreciating the natural beauty of Zigong.

When to visit Zigong?

Zigong is a hilly city and has a subtropical monsoon climate. The annual temperature here usually ranges between 17.5 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius. Zigong has a total bright sunshine duration of 1150—1200 hours per year and the annual total rainfall is between 1,000  and 1,100 millimeters.

Among the four seasons in Zigong, the spring begins earlier than in other places, with temperatures rising quickly after Spring Festival. In summer, the temperature is high. It rains a lot and the precipitation is concentrative. Autumn here is short and it is always rainy. In winter, the temperature is not too low and it rarely rains. In general, the climate in Zigong is quite warm with four distinct seasons. It has plenty of rainfall and comparatively short hours of sunlight. It is usually cloudy.

From March to October is the height of the tourist season in Zigong, while between May and August is the best time for travelers to visit. Traveling in Zigong, there are two festivals which visitors should not miss: one is the Lantern Exhibition during the China’s Spring Festival and the other is the Dragon Lantern Show. Zigong is a famous lantern city. Its Lantern Exhibition has a history of eight to nine hundred years. During the Lantern Exhibition, travelers can enjoy all kinds of beautiful Chinese lanterns. It is a marvelous scene.

How to get to Zigong?

By Air: There is no civilian airport in Zigong.  The nearest airports are the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport and the Yinbin Laiba Airport. There are shuttle buses from Zigong Bus Station to these airports. The first shuttle bus that goes to Chengdu airport starts at 8:40; the bus that goes to Chongqing airport starts at 8:20 and the bus that goes to Yinbin airport goes at 7:00, 9:35 and 14:35. It will take about 2 hours to get to Chengdu airport and Chongqing airport and about 30 minutes to reach Yibin airport.

By Train: In Zigong, the NeiKun Railway which runs from Neijing, Sichuan Province to Kunming, Yunnan Province. There are four stations in Zigong: Zigong Station, Zigong South Station, Yuchong Station and Dashanpu Station. The Zigong Railway Station is located at the Luowan Road, Ziliujing District. Here travelers can take trains to get to Chengdu, Yibin, Chongqing, Shaotong, Neijing and other cities. The inquiry phone number of Zigong railway station is 0813-8705321. Starting from Zigong, passengers can take long-distance buses to get to Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanchong, Luzhou, Yibin, Deyang, Guang’an, Dazhou, Wuhan, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other big or medium-sized cities.

By Bus: Zigong enjoys convenient road transportation. There are highways connecting with Chengdu, Chongqing, Yibin and other cities within and province. During the visit, the nearby spots, such as Leshan Giant Buddha, and the Dazu Rock Carvings, can also be listed in visitors' schedule. From Zigong passenger transport terminus, there are nearly ten buses daily running to Leshan and two buses to Dazu County.

Zigong Travel Tips

Local Highlights: Zigong Lantern Festival (early February to early March, around Spring Festival); Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Show (between January and March, usually lasting one month); Well salt, dinosaur, and color lanterns are the highlights of the city. They are the records of the area's time-honored history.

Special Local Products: Handicrafts are paper cuttings, tie-dyeing, Gong Fans (fans knitting with sawali); local foods are beef, fragrant chili sauce

Useful Telephone Numbers:
Tourist Complaints: 0813-96927
Weather Forecast: 121
Zip Code Inquiry: 184