Location: Zigong 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.
History: The history of Zigong is tightly connected
with salt industry and the city is well-known for its 1,900 years
of salt manufacturing history. Zigong people 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 Zigong reached its peak.
Physical Features: 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.
Climatic Features: The city belongs to the subtropical
zone enjoying a humid monsoon climate. Generally speaking, the weather
of Zigong is temperate with enough rainfall but without sufficient
sunshine. The spring usually comes early, and high temperature and
most of the rainfall concentrate on the summer. The autumn is relatively
shorter in the four seasons. But the winter is not very cold and
rarely rainy.
When to Go: Spring is the best time to visit Zigong
for local festivals.
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)
Special Local Products:
Handicrafts: paper cuttings, tie-dyeing, Gong Fans (fans knitting
with sawali)
Foods: beef, fragrant chili sauce
Scenic
Spots:
Zigong
Dinosaur Museum: It is one of the three biggest dinosaur
museums in the world built on the site of a group of dinosaur
fossils. The museum stores nearly all species of dinosaurs living
in Jurassic.
Giant Buddha: Located in the Rongxian County,
the Giant Buddha is 36.67 meters (124 feet) high. It is a well-know
stone Buddha in Sichuan Province only second to the Leshan Giant
Buddha.
Other Scenic Spots: Zigong
Salt History Museum and China Color Lantern
Museum, together with the Dinosaur Museum, are the most
characteristic museums in Zigong. In addition, Shuangxi
Landscape and Feilongxia Scenic Area
are excellent attractions for appreciating the natural beauty
of Zigong.
Tourist Tips: While visiting Zigong, the nearby
spots, such as Leshan Giant Buddha, and the Dazu Rock Carvings,
can also be listed in visitors' tourist schedule. From Zigong passenger
transport terminus, there are nearly ten buses daily running to
Leshan and two buses to Dazu County.
Well salt, dinosaur, and color lanterns are the highlights of
the city. They are the records of Zigong's time-honored history.