Tours and holidays with added interest
Zigong
- Name in Chinese characters: 自贡市
- Name in Pinyin: Zìgòng Shì
- Status: Prefecture-level city
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Zigong is on few travel itineraries but deserves better. The city lies about 200 kilometres south and east of Chengdu in central China's Sichuan Province and a similar distance from Chongqing Municipality. Each drive takes about 3 hours.
The city is an important industrial centre and, perhaps, that is why the tourism sector has been somewhat neglected. Salt was its first major industry with deep wells reaching down to vast underground reserves. The heydays are long gone but some of the wealth remains and the salt mines now provide one of the major attractions, having been turned into a very unusual and interesting museum.
Attractions For Visitors
The major draws for those few foreign visitors who do go to Zigong are the Dinosaur Museum (who didn't have a phase of loving dinosaurs) and the Salt History Museum. The Dafo (Big Buddha) in Rongxiang County is often tagged along to fill time and the proves to be highly enjoyable.
Dinosaur Museum: Rated as one of the top three dinosaur museums in the world (right up there with National Dinosaur Museum of America and the Canada Dinosaur Park) the collection here is the largest set of Jurassic fossils on display anywhere. Many fossils have been re-assembled into skeletons again but, interestingly, a number have been preserved in-situ so that avid fans may get a better feel for the excavation process.
Salt History Museum: Salt mining here is said to date back to the Qin Dynasty (the first, and the same that produced the Terracotta Warriors amongst other things). The displays show how the technology progressed as the miners delved deeper in the search for more of this precious commodity. Bamboo played a vital role, allowing water to be pumped down and rich brine to be pumped back up from nearly 1000 metres down (over 3000 feet), and then transported to pans for dehydration.
Dafo (Big Buddha): Dating from the Tang Dynasty, over a thousand years ago, this giant statue has been carved into a high cliff-face so as to look out over the surrounding area - and, of course, to be seen from afar. The site includes a monastery with several interesting halls.
Other possible sites of interest nearby include:
Ancient Xianshi Town: Perhaps more of an attraction for domestic tourists this small town once sat on the main trade route from Zigong and therefore benefitted from the passing trade - enough to have some quality architecture in the form of inns and temples (both vital for the passing merchants).
West Lake: Not to be confused with the more famous lake with the same name in Hangzhou, this delightful natural feature is renowned for its lotus blooms and attractive pavilions.
Chinese Lantern Museum: Said to be the only such museum in China, this collection may only be of interest to a few. Photographers and other artists may have a field day.
Jianshan Natural Scenery Reserve: This reserve has pleasant walking amid lakes and with mountain views and is particularly noted for its peach blossoms in late spring. An option for those seeking a break from big cities.
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Current Comments
6 comments so far (post your own)Hi Lucy
Yes it does. It is on one of the Chengdu - Kunming lines making it a good stopping off point for a north/south route.
Posted by China Journeys on Fri 16 Mar, 2012
Does Zigong have a railway station?
Posted by Lucy Nicholson on Fri 16 Mar, 2012
Hi Emily
You don't say what interest you but, sure, if you have the time, put a stop in along the way. You will find added interest simply because Zigong does not see many foreign visitors. Enjoy.
Posted by China Journeys on Wed 7 Mar, 2012
We were planning to go straight from Chengdu to Chogqing but this looks inetresting.
Posted by Emily Clarke on Wed 7 Mar, 2012
Hi Willhelm
A visit to Zigong slips easily into a program between Chengdu and Chongqing.
You don't say anything about your budget or interests, nor about your other plans in China so the following can only be general pointers.
To see more than one of the sites requires at least an overnight stop. You may want to consider another if you have a deep interest in any site in particular - the Dinosaur Museum for instance.
You can make your way to Zigong by public transport (trains take about 5 hours, express buses are faster). Public transport is fine for the major sites but a guide and agency vehicle become useful if you intend to visit several sites, especially those outside of the city centre.
A rough plan could be:
Day 1 - travel from Chengdu in the morning. Afternoon at Salt History Museum.
Day 2 - Dinosaur Museum and afternoon at West lake.
Day 3 - Vist the Dafo in the morning and continue on to Chongqing after lunch
If you would like to know more then please do drop us an email.
Posted by China Journeys on Mon 13 Feb, 2012
A college friend suggested a visit to this unspoilt area. If you could recommend a travel itinerary I would be grateful.
Posted by Wilhelm on Sun 12 Feb, 2012