Zigong

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Lantern City of China
2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Lantern City of China

6.4
4.6/5
9.9k reviews
The 32nd Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival will open at China Lantern World on January 24, 2026. This year's lantern festival, themed "Illuminating China, Building Dreams for the Future," features ten major sections including "Chinese Knot Boulevard," "Fortune Square," "Mulan's Legend," "Intangible Cultural Heritage Crafts," and "Wonderful China." With 11 large-scale lantern installations and over 200 medium and small lantern displays, it creates an immersive celebration blending intangible cultural heritage techniques with cutting-edge digital technology, presenting visitors with a vibrant artistic panorama of "harmonious coexistence." This is a spectacular lantern festival blending ancient and modern artistry, where Zigong lanterns, tie-dyeing, paper-cutting, and other intangible cultural heritage techniques are intricately woven with Chinese mythological epics and classic historical tales. Centered around the imagery of the Year of the Horse, the event brilliantly showcases numerous folk stories, ancient legends, and cultural elements through dazzling light displays. The "Chinese knot gate" lantern installation, standing 35m tall with a design inspired by traditional Chinese knots, achieves visual harmony from both front and back views, resembling a time portal connecting past and present. The massive "Mystic China" lantern group, approx. 210m long, draws from Zhuangzi's legendary imagery of the giant Kun fish transforming into a roc bird, using mythological storytelling to showcase national strength and ethnic pride. The 22m-tall "Yearly fortune" Nian beast lantern features AI interactive systems enabling heartwarming "dialogues" between humans and this ancient auspicious creature. For the upcoming Year of the Horse, the 180m-long "Mulan's legend" installation—based on the Ballad of Mulan—pairs dynamic horse sculptures with the heroine's heroic bearing, conveying profound patriotic sentiment. This is a creative wonderland where "anything can become a lantern,"This year's lantern festival pushes creative boundaries by integrating eco-friendly recycled materials like blue-and-white porcelain, straw, medicine bottles, and chili peppers with local cultural elements and trendy materials like pipe cleaners into thematic lantern displays. These installations not only embody the eco-conscious concept of "turning waste into treasure," but also revitalize ordinary materials through intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, artistically conveying the cultural philosophy that "all things have spirit, and masterful artistry unites them." In the "Imagine the Future" section, the dreamy lantern display "Fantasy Lantern Collection" draws inspiration from children's artwork, featuring nearly 6,000 paintings by kids worldwide. Master lantern artisans, like modern-day "Magic Paintbrush Ma Liang," transform these youthful creations into vibrant lanterns. These imaginative works transcend skin color, age, and nationality, using light and shadow as bridges to connect children's innocent dreams globally, planting the seeds of "Zigong lanterns" across the world. This immersive experience showcases technology's transformative power across all scenarios. The lantern festival breaks from traditional viewing modes, focusing on "tech-enhanced engagement" by incorporating AI interaction, smart touch controls, and light-responsive effects that visitors can manually trigger. A virtual digital human alliance and AR-integrated robotic dinosaurs create cross-era interactive experiences. Cutting-edge technology seamlessly connects viewing, playing, sensing, and reflecting – revitalizing millennia-old lantern traditions for the digital age. Additionally, the 300m-long "Salt Street Lantern Market" has been transformed into a themed photo street, featuring diverse photo spots including classical pavilions, cyber light installations, and folk markets. Costume and prop rental services are available to meet various photography needs. The entire park offers a 360-degree immersive performance experience, with NPCs playing dedicated scripted roles. The storyline unfolds naturally along the route through interactive dialogues and fun tasks, creating a deeply immersive experience where "every step reveals a new scene, and every scene tells a story." As countless lights illuminate the new year across this ancient land, it transforms into a flowing epic of light and shadow. This is not merely a meeting of craftsmanship and technology, but a profound dialogue between timeless heritage and future aspirations. Let's anticipate together how this luminous spectacle will brilliantly reimagine ancient tales through light and shadow, allowing the celestial river of Chinese heritage to flow gently within every lantern's glow.Zigong · 7.6 km from downtown

Experiences you can't miss in Zigong

Featured Food & drink in Zigong

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1-day tour to Leshan Giant Buddha and Oriental Buddha Capital | Private tour | English/Chinese guide optional
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Duration: 11 hrs
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Door-to-door pickup | 1-day tour to Leshan Giant Buddha and Suji Ancient Town with dual-perspective Buddha viewing and specialty lunch
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FromRUB 7,287.11
MO FU LOU garden restaurant · Leshan flavor courtyard meal for 2
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Duration: 1 hr
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FromRUB 4,841.85

Featured Day tours in Zigong

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Chengdu round-trip | Zigong Dinosaur Museum private tour 1-day tour | Admission ticket not included with complimentary water
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FromRUB 19,354.13
Zigong Dinosaur Museum 1-day tour (admission ticket not included)
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FromRUB 35,943.38
Leshan Giant Buddha + Mount Emei Day Trip [Optional: Round trip from Leshan + boat tour of the Giant Buddha OR mountain climbing of the Giant Buddha]
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4.9/5
· 12.4k reviews· 10.9k booked
Duration: 16.5 hrs
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Leshan Giant Buddha Day Tour from Chengdu: 9:30 AM Departure & Optional Walking/Boat Tour (Lunch Included)
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4.9/5
· 5.3k reviews· 12.8k booked
Duration: 8.9 hrs
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FromRUB 3,382.00
Zigong Today's weatherOvercast 15-20℃
Zigong weather for the next 2 days11/3: 14-18℃, 11/4: 15-20℃

Free things to do in Zigong

What travelers say about Zigong

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_We***20October 25, 2026
5.0
Our trip to Zigong with the kids was great! We chose the DaNaoShou Family Theme Hotel, and the experience was fantastic! I was especially impressed with Xiao Liao at the front desk; her service was attentive and gentle. Check-in was smooth and efficient; she greeted our child proactively, gave us a small gift, and explained all the hotel's services in detail, answering all our questions. The hotel had a fantastic dinosaur theme, with adorable decorations that were perfect for photos. The rooms were clean and odor-free, fully equipped, and thoughtfully provided children's amenities. The children's playground on the first floor was clean and safe, allowing our children to play to their hearts' content. The hotel's location is excellent, making it convenient to visit Fantawild Dinosaur Kingdom. The cleaning staff were also very responsible, keeping the public areas spotless. Overall, it was great value for money, the service was heartwarming, and our child loved the hotel. We'll definitely stay here again next time we come to Zigong!

Fantawild Dino Kingdom

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dzyangNovember 1, 2026
5.0
It's breathtaking. The rulers of hundreds of millions of years ago are now just fossils, telling tales of their former glory, yet ultimately vanishing into the annals of history. The world changes, and all that remains is fleeting smoke!

Zigong Dinosaur Museum

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王仍春(高原风)October 14, 2026
4.0
Located in the Xiqin Guild Hall, the ancient Chinese architectural style, with its carved beams and painted rafters, vividly presents the history and culture of Zigong's salt industry. The process of well digging, water pumping, transportation, and salt production is explained in a concise and vivid way. The innovative use of natural gas and gravity well technology, based on operations research, allows you to extract the salt volume. It's a worthwhile experience!

Zigong Salt Industry History Museum

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M24***28October 5, 2026
5.0
The Zigong Lantern Festival truly lives up to its reputation as a World Cultural Heritage site. The lanterns are large, magnificent, and incredibly beautiful, with vibrant and diverse colors. As a family outing, we took the children to see the paper lantern festival, a World Cultural Heritage site, allowing them to experience the joy of play…

Lantern City of China

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_M1***41August 21, 2026
4.0
A very worthwhile attraction to visit, and we even hired a guide; unfortunately, we couldn't see the brine extraction process, and seeing it separately would cost an extra 200 yuan, so we could only watch it via video; the current policies for seniors and children at tourist attractions are really thoughtful, as they are all free of charge.

Shenhai Well

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小提琴YshSeptember 30, 2024
5.0
I heard that the Zigong lanterns are different every year, attracting tourists from all over the country and the world. This year was my first time to visit Zigong in Sichuan. It was really unique. The bundled lights, colored lights, and a series of lights were really first-class, better than any other light show I have been to.

Zigong Colored Lantern Park

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202***13October 10, 2026
5.0
Although it is a relatively unknown site, the entire sculpture is still very historical. This national key cultural relics protection unit, hidden deep in the mountains, is well worth a visit.

Giant Buddha in Rong County

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M27***44August 12, 2026
5.0
This lantern museum is amazing! I thought the free reservation would be enough for a quick visit, but it ended up taking over two hours. It covered the history and traditions of lanterns, characteristics from all over China, representative lantern styles, folk activities related to lanterns, and exhibitions from around the world. It also showed the latest developments and material innovations in lanterns! Very comprehensive and professional.

China Color Lantern Museum

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行走在民间的艺术家January 13, 2025
5.0
1. Xianshi Ancient Town was built in the Sui Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,400 years. It is located on the banks of the Fuxi River in the northern part of Yantan District, Zigong City, Sichuan Province. It was once an important salt transport port in ancient times. Many Qing Dynasty buildings are preserved here. The ancient buildings and bells of ancient temples lined up on the streets make the whole ancient town full of historical weight. 2. There are four streets, five stacks, five temples, one ancestral hall, three docks, one carp and three archways, nine monuments and ten lands in the ancient town. These buildings not only reflect the perfect combination of architectural design and style of ancient towns in my country, but also are specimens of the customs and customs of the town in southern Sichuan. 3. Xianshi Ancient Town has not had too much commercial development, retaining its original living conditions, and residents still maintain their traditional lifestyles. The food here is also very distinctive, and tofu rice is a local delicacy. 4. Visitors can feel a leisurely and peaceful atmosphere here. There is no need to rush to visit, and they can slowly savor the charm of the ancient town. Due to the low degree of commercialization, tourists can enjoy a more peaceful experience here. 5. Although it is about 10 kilometers from downtown Zigong, the road conditions may be poor and it takes about 40 minutes to drive there [^2^]. However, once you arrive, you will find that this ancient town is unique and worth a visit.

Xianshi Ancient Town

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M60***03August 21, 2026
5.0
Parking is convenient at the Maojiaba boarding point for the night cruise on the Fuxi River, with ample underground parking spaces, and it's a short walk to the pier. The night view is atmospheric and the river scenery is delightful, making for a very pleasant experience overall.

Night Cruise of Fuxi River

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Frequently asked questions

You can give 1-day tour to Leshan Giant Buddha and Oriental Buddha Capital | Private tour | English/Chinese guide optional and Door-to-door pickup | 1-day tour to Leshan Giant Buddha and Suji Ancient Town with dual-perspective Buddha viewing and specialty lunch a try. Before you go, please check their opening hours and menus online. Reservations are recommended, especially during peak hours.

As of November 3, 2026, the reference price for day tours and activities in Zigong is around RUB 3,382 – RUB 35,943.38. Rates vary by duration, group size, transportation, tickets, meals, and any special admission requirements. Before you book, please confirm the billing currency and whether the price is quoted per person or per group.

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