Zigong Dinosaur Museum

Yangchuanosaurus at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum

Dinosaurs at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum

One of the excavation pits of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum

Mamenchisaurus youngi, Zigong Dinosaur Museum

The Zigong Dinosaur Museum (Chinese: 自貢恐龍博物館) is located near the city of Zigong, Sichuan, China, in the township of Dashanpu. The museum sits on top of a large concentration of a diverse dinosaur assemblage. The museum claims the largest number of dinosaur fossils in the world and covers 25,000 square meters with a display area of 3,600 square meters. It attracts up to seven million visitors a year.^[1]

In 1980s, vast quantities of dinosaur fossils were excavated in the Middle Jurassic Dashanpu Formation, 7 km north-east from downtown Zigong, including a dinosaur named after the township, Dashanpusaurus. Because of the unique and articulated (intact) bone remains, Zigong is important to paleontologists and dinosaur enthusiasts. The Zigong Dinosaur Museum was established in 1987, becoming the first museum based almost entirely on dinosaurs in Asia. Mounted specimens include Omeisaurus, Gigantspinosaurus, Yangchuanosaurus, Huayangosaurus and Xiaosaurus.

See also

• List of museums in China

References

Coordinates: 29°23′56″N 104°49′34″E / 29.39889°N 104.82611°E / 29.39889; 104.82611