Overview

Zigong, located in the south of Sichuan basins, the riverside of Fuxi brook in the upriver of Yangtze River, is one of the earliest presidia and key industrial cities in Sichuan. And it is known as a resplendent pearl in the land of abundance. The city has jurisdiction over four regions, Ziliujing, Gongjing, Da’an, Yantan and Rong Xian, Fushun two counties, phone code:0816, post code:643000. The total area is 4 373 square kilometers, among which the city area is 814 square kilometers. The total population is 2, 943, 000 up to the end of 1989, including 969, 400 cantonal inhabitants.

Zigong is known as ‘Salt City’ for its rich in well salt. The well salt industry in this area came forth in the East Han dynasty, became famous in the Tang and Song dynasty and grew to the peak in the period between the end of Qing dynasty and the beginning of Min Period. During the past 2000 years, in the name of salt Zigong has been growing from a town to county and finally became a city. Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, it has developed into a medium-sized industrial city with salt-making, chemical and machinery industry as the leading industries. Besides salt-making, the city varies in industries including food-making, construction material supply, light textile, metallurgy and electricity etc.

With glamorous culture and history Zigong is a rich land fostering more talents. The long history, as well as the abundant historic remains of human culture and nature, contributes to the unique tourism resources. Known as ‘Aged Salt City’ ‘the Home of Dinosaurs’ and ‘Lantern City in South China’, Zigong has a high reputation for dinosaur fossils, well salt and Three Feats on lantern making, both abroad and at home. The history and culture based on well salt are splendid. There are 88 units of the State Protected Culture Relics in this city. The famous locale of Dashanpu dinosaur fossil has been built into one of the three Dinosaur Museums in the world, which is called Zigong Dinosaurs Museum. The traditional lantern fair in Zigong enjoys international fame with unique feature in the Colored Lantern Museum.

The handicrafts named ‘small three feats’ of Zigong are Gong fan, paper-cutting and linet staining handicrafts. There are giant plant fossils (the silicified wood), the first salt well, the giant Buddha of Rong County, which is the largest Buddha Sitting stone image in China, and the Fushun Wen Temple, which is the first Wen Temple of Sichuan in Zigong. Chuan Opera and circus of Zigong are two amazing flowers blooming so many times; the works and performance of Chuan Opera are famous throughout China. The provincial native products are famous for “Three beeves” (burst tender beef, yak beef, Hong bean fried jerked beef); “Three fragrance” (Longyu fragrant flower tea, Longyu fragrant grapefruit, Salt City fragrant chili sauce); “three Xiu” (vegetable with fixing dishes, fresh Datou dishes, Niufo turnip Dragon dishes). They are well-known and highly commended in China.

These “Three” are created by the diligent work of Zigong people. The giant Buddha of Rong County has come in third of the world, which is the striking proof of this. The creator of the giant Buddha is the people on the history. The people created history and Zigong.

We can find the older generation of revolutionist and educator Yuzhang Wu, one of the six gentlemen in the ‘Wuxu Political Reform’ named Guangdi Liu, the famous scholar and poet Zhaoxi, the famous Chuan Opera writer Minglun Wei and the famous composer Xiren Wang who have grown up on this land.