Stand on the bank of the Fuxi River in the old salt quarter and the two Zigongs become clear: the timber guild halls and narrow lanes of the salt trade on one side, the newer city rising behind them. This is a place built on brine, and the evidence is still working.
Zigong suits travellers who are curious about how things were made, and who are willing to travel for a specific sight rather than a general atmosphere. It is better known within mainland China than outside it, and much of what there is to see relates to salt, dinosaurs and lanterns.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, with practical notes on how to combine them and when to go.
Top things to do in Zigong
1. Zigong Dinosaur Museum
This is the museum built on top of the Dashanpu Formation, China's most famous dinosaur fossil site, where hundreds of dinosaur fossils have been found since the 1970s. It was the first museum in China devoted exclusively to dinosaurs, and besides the displays you can view an excavation pit where fossils have been unearthed.
It sits a few hundred metres from the East Bus Station, and several local bus routes terminate here, including routes 7, 15, 35, 306 and 308. Allow time for the excavation pit as well as the halls.
2. Shenhai Well
The Shenhai Well is a one-kilometre-deep salt well constructed in 1835, and it is the only traditional salt well in China still in use today. It operates with the older manual methods of pumping and boiling, and the salt it produces is used for pickling and canning.
There is a bus stop right outside the well, served by bus nos. 3, 5, 7, 31 and 35; from the Zigong General Bus Station it may be easier to catch bus no. 10 to Dagao Road and walk from there. Note the seasonal closing time, which is half an hour earlier in winter.
3. Zigong Salt History Museum
The museum is housed inside what used to be a guild hall for salt merchants, and the decor is representative of the wood and rock carving styles of the Qing dynasty. It is the natural place to start if you want the background to the wells and saltyards before seeing them.
It is on Jiefang Road in Ziliujing District; take bus no. 2, 3, 11, 33, 34, 37 or 40 and get off at Shawan. You can walk from here to the China Lantern Museum, which is 600 m to the south.
4. Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival
Zigong is one of the best places in China to experience the Lantern Festival, because it is where the festival originated. The lanterns are on display for around two months, usually between January and March, and during that period the lights are switched on at 18:30 and turned off at 22:30.
The festival is held at Lantern Park on Gongyuan Road in Ziliujing District. Fees vary from year to year and by day of the week, so check before you commit to a date. If you go, try the different local foods and drinks, and do not be afraid to learn some phrases of the local dialect.
5. China Lantern Museum
This museum on Gongyuan Road in Ziliujing District is the year-round counterpart to the festival, and it shares its setting at Lantern Park. It is worth the time if your visit falls outside the lantern display period.
Take bus no. 8 or 802 and get off at Gongyuankou, or catch bus no. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 31, 35, 37, 39, 301, 302, 305, 307 or 801 and get off at Lantern Park. You can also walk here from the Zigong Salt Museum.
6. Xianshi Ancient Town
Xianshi Ancient Town was once a key salt transport port on the Fuxi River and is known as "China's No. 1 Salt Transport Town." It has a history of over 1,400 years and features traditional residences and ancient temples and halls from the late Qing and early Republican periods.
It is in the northern part of Yantan District, southeast of the urban area, and entry is free. The site is open at all hours, so it works as a half-day trip rather than something to squeeze between two museums.
7. Rong County Giant Buddha
The main statue is the Shakyamuni Buddha, which gives the site its name, Dafosi (Great Buddha Temple). It was built in the Song Dynasty and rebuilt during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, and the temple is constructed along the mountainside, perched halfway up the hill.
The complex is centred on the Maitreya Hall and the Buddha Hall, with an Abbot's Chamber, Sutra Library and Dharma Hall, plus carvings of Bodhidharma and inscriptions by figures from various periods. It is at Zhenruyan, Songjia Chong Village, in the eastern suburbs of Rong County, and closes later than most of the city sights.
8. Wangye Temple
Wangye Temple, also known as Fuxi First Pavilion, is a Qing-dynasty temple complex built during the Xianfeng reign. The surviving opera stage dates from 1906 and follows a traditional axial layout with a timber-frame structure and hip-and-gable roof; the original main hall no longer exists.
Notable features include the Huanyu Pool stone inscription and the "Return Our Land" carving. It is on Binjiang Road in Ziliujing District and stays open into the evening, so it fits at the end of a day rather than the start.
9. Zigong Fantawild Dino Kingdom
This theme park opened in June 2022 and features 4D theaters, roller coasters and various interactive attractions, combining Zigong's dinosaur heritage with elements of ancient Shu culture. It is aimed at visitors of all ages and is more entertainment than museum.
It is on Fantawild Dinosaur Avenue in Da'an District; take bus route 35 to the Fantawild Dinosaur stop. Opening hours are shorter on weekdays and extend into the evening on public holidays, so plan the day around which one you are visiting on.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Zigong Salt History Museum on Jiefang Road to get the background on the salt trade, then walk the 600 m south to the China Lantern Museum at Lantern Park.
Afternoon: Take bus no. 35 or one of the other routes out to the Zigong Dinosaur Museum and give the excavation pit proper time, then continue to Shenhai Well to see the traditional pumping and boiling still in use.
Evening: Finish at Wangye Temple on Binjiang Road, which stays open into the evening. If your visit falls between January and March, spend the evening at the Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival instead, arriving for the 18:30 switch-on.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the lanterns?
The Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival is usually on display for around two months between January and March, with the lights switched on at 18:30 and off at 22:30. Fees vary from year to year and by day of the week.
Is Shenhai Well still working?
Yes. It is the only traditional salt well in China still in use today, operating with the older manual methods of pumping and boiling, and its salt is used for pickling and canning.
How do I reach the dinosaur museum without a car?
It is a few hundred metres from the East Bus Station, and several local bus routes terminate there, including routes 7, 15, 35, 306 and 308.
Which sights cost nothing to enter?
Xianshi Ancient Town and Wangye Temple are both free. Xianshi Ancient Town is open at all hours, while Wangye Temple opens at 09:00 and closes at 23:00.
Decide which season you are travelling in, check the current lantern festival dates if you are coming in spring, and start building your days around the salt wells and the fossils.