Zigong

The area of Zigong has a long history in ancient China - with the invention and development of "Percussion Drilling rig" being one of the city's accomplishments. Zigong is famous for its abundant production of well salt and is known as the "Salt Capital". The production of well salt in the Zigong area originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was famous in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and flourished in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. There are essentially two cities - that of the old and the new. The city was reached by rail in the 1950s. Several four-lane highways reach the city from other cities in the Sichuan province. The new city of Zigong has been modernizing since the late 1970s - but more rapidly since the early 1990s. …

Zigong is located in the Sichuan Basin, and has an area extension of 4,372.6 km2 (1,688.3 sq mi). Granted the recognition as one of the Historical and Cultural Cities of China by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Zigong has long been renowned as "Salt City" for its brine extraction techniques and the attendant salt-related culture. In ancient China, salt was regarded as the energy for body and valued higher even than gold. Therefore, salt trading was always the most profitable business and salt merchants were the wealthiest people. Hence, Zigong had always been one of the richest cities in China until the founding of the People's Republic of China with the introduction of new salt producing methods and advancing of technologies. It has had what is now the Zigong Salt Museum since 1736. The Fuxi River, a tributary to the Tuo River, snakes through the city's core. …

Cold-cooked rabbit: With its unique spicy flavor and rich historical background, it has become one of the most representative classic dishes in the Yanbang cuisine. Huobianzi Beef: Huobianzi Beef is a traditional famous dish from Zigong City, Sichuan Province, renowned for its high quality, delicious taste, paper-thin slices, and crispy, fragrant texture. Fushun Douhua: A bowl of douhua, a dish of dipping sauce, and rice—this is a taste memory etched into the bones of Fushun people. Niufu Roasted Pork Knuckle: A specialty dish, resembling a dazzling crown, with a brownish-red color that is extremely tempting. Fresh Rabbit Hot Pot: A Sichuan dish featuring rabbit meat, perfectly showcasing the fresh and spicy flavors of Zigong cuisine.

Salt was once one of the major sources of revenue for China. To give an idea of how much money was generated from salt in China - after the fall of the last emperor, the Republic of China under Sun Yat-sen secured loans based upon the revenues of the Chinese Salt Administration (the government agency in charge of taxation on salt). The chief inspector of that administration stated "The best salt in China is produced from the salt wells of Sichuan". The best salt wells in Sichuan are in Ziliujing District, Zigong. The people of Zigong have been drilling in the area for Salt since before the Han Dynasty (76-88 A.D.) to extract salt from brine. Some historian estimates are that China has been active in producing salt since about 6000 BC. The brine aquifers in the area have salinity of at least 50 grams per liter. …

In the 1980s, vast dinosaur fossils were excavated in the Shaximiao Formation, near the town of Dashanpu 7 km (4.3 mi) north-east from downtown Zigong, including a dinosaur named after the township, Dashanpusaurus. Because of the unique and intact bone remains, Zigong has ever since been attracting paleontologists and dinosaur enthusiasts from around the world. In 1987, the Zigong Dinosaur Museum (自贡恐龙博物馆) was established, becoming the first specialized dinosaur museum open in Asia. Mounted specimens include Omeisaurus, Gigantspinosaurus, Yangchuanosaurus hepingensis, Huayangosaurus and Xiaosaurus. Zigong is the originator of the Chinese Lantern Festival - which has been copied in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. As one of the Historical and Cultural Cities of China, Zigong is called "Lantern Town in the South Kingdom". …

According to the 2020 Chinese census, the prefecture-level city of Zigong has a population of 2,489,256 inhabitants, less than its population in 2010 (the average annual population growth for the period 2010–2020 was of -0.73%). However, the built-up (or metro) area, consisting of the 4 urban districts, grew, with 1,297,695 inhabitants (1,262,064 in 2010). At the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the resident population is 2.429 million, the urbanization rate is 57.69%, the urban population is 1,401,300, and the rural population is 1,027,700.