Type
Museum / National Geopark
Age
Mid–Late Jurassic (Shaximiao Formation), ~168–161 mya
Established
Dashanpu quarry 1972; museum 1987
Best time
Spring and autumn (March–May, September–November) for comfortable Sichuan weather
- ◆Built directly over the Dashanpu dinosaur quarry
- ◆Omeisaurus, Mamenchisaurus, Shunosaurus, Gasosaurus
- ◆One of Asia's largest dinosaur museums
- ◆Sichuan's Zigong Geopark — salt and dinosaur heritage
Photos
Overview
Zigong has been called China's Dinosaur City. The Zigong Dinosaur Museum was constructed on top of the Dashanpu quarry, where hundreds of Jurassic dinosaur skeletons have been excavated since the 1970s. Unlike museums that display specimens imported from elsewhere, this building lets you look down into the actual excavation pit where bones were found — a direct parallel to Dinosaur National Monument, but for Asia's unique Jurassic fauna.
Geology
The fossils come from the Shaximiao Formation, a sequence of Jurassic lake and river deposits in the Sichuan Basin. The environment supported enormous sauropods with unusually long necks (Mamenchisaurus), plated and spiked forms (Tuojiangosaurus, Shunosaurus with its tail club), and early carnivores like Gasosaurus.
What You See
The museum's central hall spans the quarry pit with catwalks overlooking in-situ bones and mounted skeletons of Omeisaurus, Mamenchisaurus, and other Sichuan endemics. Surrounding halls cover the salt-mining history of Zigong (the city was built on wealth from ancient seabed salt) alongside the dinosaur story.
Famous Finds
Dashanpu produced complete skeletons of Omeisaurus, Mamenchisaurus, Shunosaurus, and the carnivore Gasosaurus. Tuojiangosaurus — a stegosaur relative — is another Sichuan icon. The site established China as a major Jurassic dinosaur province alongside the Morrison Formation in North America.
Visiting
Zigong is a full-day trip from Chengdu (~2.5 hours by car or high-speed rail). The museum and adjacent Zigong Geopark accept walk-in visitors; English signage is limited but improving. Combine with the Zigong Salt History Museum for the full city story.
Best time to visit
Spring and autumn (March–May, September–November) for comfortable Sichuan weather. Chinese national holidays (Golden Week) are extremely crowded.
Getting there
From Chengdu: high-speed train to Zigong (Zigong Station) ~1 hour, or drive via Chengdu-Chongqing expressway. Local taxis connect the station to the museum (~20 min).
Map
Zigong, Sichuan Province — approximate location only. Exact fossil localities are not published to protect sites from looting.
Market & Provenance
Chinese vertebrate fossils are protected under national law. Export requires government authorization. Jurassic material claimed to be from Sichuan on the international market without export permits is high-risk — treat as potentially illegal.
Collecting & Legality
Collecting is prohibited. Chinese fossil law protects vertebrate fossils as national heritage. Export for commercial sale is not permitted without official authorization — which is not granted for commercial dinosaur trade. Do not purchase Chinese dinosaur fossils on the international market without verified government export documentation.
FAQ
Can I buy fossils from Zigong?
No. Chinese vertebrate fossils are protected cultural and natural heritage. Commercial export is restricted.
Is it worth visiting if I don't read Chinese?
Yes — the quarry-pit architecture and mounted skeletons are visually spectacular. Hire a local guide for deeper context.
How does it compare to Dinosaur National Monument?
Similar concept — a museum built over an in-situ quarry — but with distinct Asian Jurassic species like Mamenchisaurus.