2025 Rong County Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in January)

📍 Address: No. 1, Dafosi, Dafo Street, Xuyang Town, Rongxian, Zigong 📍 🕒 Opening Hours: 08:30–17:30 (subject to change due to COVID-19, please refer to the on-site arrangements) ⏰ 🚥 Transportation: • Self-driving: From Chengdu, take Chenglu Expressway, Yukun Expressway, South Ring Road, and S305 to Rongxian, then take Rongzhou Road and Dafo Road to the scenic area. 🚗 • Bus: Take Bus No. 1 to Laonanmen Bridge Station, then walk 760 meters to the scenic area. 🚌 👍 Must-try Experiences: 1. Visit Dafo Temple: Experience the integration of ancient architecture and Buddhist culture, and appreciate the solemnity and beauty of Rongxian Giant Buddha. 🏯 2. Climb the tower: Climb the tower to get a close-up view of the Buddha's face, and enjoy the magnificent view of the Buddha from top to bottom. 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ 3. Visit nearby attractions: Including the Big-bellied Maitreya (commonly known as the Laughing Arhat), the stone carving of Bodhidharma crossing the river, the soul of the poet Fang Weng, the stone pillow under the pine shade, the deep white clouds, the leisure in the Yao Garden, and other attractions. 🌄 4. Cultural experience: Participate in the Rongxian Giant Buddha Cultural Tourism Festival, and experience the perfect combination of local folk culture, belief culture, and Buddhist culture. 🎉 📋 Tips: 1. Ticket information: Adult ticket: CNY 38/person (online booking price), local visitors: CNY 9.5/person, Neijiang/Zigong visitors: CNY 18/person. 🎫 2. Discount policy: Free admission for seniors over 65, active military personnel, and people with disabilities with valid ID; free admission for seniors aged 60–65 on non-national holidays, and 50% off on national holidays with valid ID; free admission for minors under 1.4 meters. 👶👵👴 3. Visitor limit: The scenic area receives no more than 2,500 visitors per day. 🚧 4. Protect cultural relics: Please respect and protect cultural relics, and do not scribble or damage cultural relics in the scenic area. 🙏 5. Plan your time wisely: It is recommended to spend 2–3 hours to fully experience the natural scenery and cultural atmosphere of the scenic area. ⏳

After a long summer, "Walking in the Countryside and Discovering Zigong" finally opened its second half of the year during the National Day holiday. Revisiting Longtanchang, go upstream along the Xushui River, and check in Xingwu Bridge, Yejiatan Bridge, Dalongyan Sluice, Aijiaozi (Zhaoshixi) and Dingxin Bridge. Special thanks to Teacher Kaiyuan for recommending two of the century-old bridges. From Longtan to Dingxin, it is not only a perfect bridge-finding journey, but also the first close contact with Zigong's "vegetable basket" base, and also the autumn scenery of the countryside in October.

Discover the lesser-known stone-carved Great Buddha in the county town. When it comes to gigantic stone-carved cliff Buddhas, most people first think of famous ones like Leshan, Yungang, and Longmen. Besides these well-known Buddha carvings, there are many other lesser-known stone-carved Great Buddhas hidden in various places. For example, about 70 kilometers away from the Leshan Giant Buddha, there is another Great Buddha in Zigong Rong County. It is the world's first Shakyamuni Buddha! The world's second-largest stone-carved Great Buddha! The Rong County Great Buddha was also carved during the Tang Dynasty. It is a Shakyamuni Buddha cliff carving. The Buddha's head is protected below in a large Buddha pavilion, so the Great Buddha is well-preserved. For hundreds of years, it has not been eroded by wind and rain, and there has been little change. It has not undergone large-scale restoration, but its wooden structure was destroyed in the early Qing Dynasty due to war. It was rebuilt during the Qing Jiaqing era and has been preserved to this day. From a distance, the Rong County Great Buddha looks like a huge Buddha head standing on the cliff. Although it is not as majestic as the Leshan Giant Buddha, it has a unique presence. Passing through the gate of the Great Buddha Temple, the Buddha pavilion layers up to the Buddha's shoulders. Climbing up 108 steps to the Buddha's feet, the sitting posture of the Rong County Great Buddha is quite special, with the right hand on the knee and the left hand flat, and a Buddha bead carved in the palm of the left hand. Going further up, you can reach the highest point of the Great Buddha and overlook half of Rong County town. The Rong County Great Buddha is a hidden world's best in a small county town, little known! The Rong County Great Buddha scenic area is not large, and it takes about an hour to visit. Currently, the Rong County Great Buddha has already entered a closed park renovation and danger removal period and will not open until after July 20 this year. Rong County Great Buddha Ticket: 10 RMB per person Address: No.1, Dafo Temple Street, Xuyang Town, Rong County Time: Temporarily closed to the public

Next to Xuyang Town in Zigong City, Sichuan Province, lies a hidden giant stone Buddha carved from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing periods—the Rongxian Giant Buddha. This colossal grotto sculpture, facing south and north, has withstood the test of time and continues to attract countless tourists and history enthusiasts with its majestic presence.🏔️ The Rongxian Giant Buddha Grottoes consist of 16 niches, among which the most spectacular is the 14th niche that houses the Great Buddha, standing at 36.67 meters tall. It is the world's largest statue of Sakyamuni Buddha (the Buddha of the present) and is also known as the second largest stone-carved Buddha statue in the world.🕉️ Adjacent to it is the Great Buddha Temple, whose history can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. The temple structure is built along the mountain, centered around the Great Buddha, and unfolds to the left and right, forming a harmonious picture of religious architecture.🏯 Beyond the Great Buddha itself, the area where the Rongxian Giant Buddha is located is also home to many other historical relics. For instance, the Qing Dynasty's exquisite stone carving 'Damo Crossing the River' and the 'Xiao Terrace,' where it is said that the son of the Yellow Emperor, Xuanxiao, once rested, both testify to the profound cultural heritage of this place.🗿 In 2008, the Zigong World Geopark was officially approved by UNESCO, and the Rongxian Giant Buddha, together with the surrounding natural landscape, constitutes this unique geological park.🌱

🚗🚗🚗 Travel Itinerary: Day1: Zigong Station → Mudwood·SKY CITY HOTEL (Zigong Huashang City Store) Day2: Zigong Dinosaur Museum → Xian Shi Ancient Town → Zigong·China Lantern World Day3: Salt Industry History Museum → Shenhai Well → China Lantern Museum → Wangye Temple → Night Tour of Fuxi Day4: Zigong Station 🌟 Highlights: Zigong Dinosaur Museum Keywords: Site, Skull It is a large site museum built on the world-famous 'Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Site'. It is the third large on-site museum in China after the Banpo Site and the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. It is also the first professional dinosaur museum in China and one of the three major dinosaur museums in the world after the National Dinosaur Park in the United States and the Dinosaur Park in Canada. It is known as the 'Eastern Dragon Palace'. Although not large in area, the museum houses a very rich collection of unique dinosaur fossils, such as Jiaosaurus, Huayangosaurus, and Pingyongchuanosaurus, which are all worth seeing. The second floor's treasure hall has three must-see exhibits. One is the Pansaurus bogged down in the swamp, maintaining its pre-death posture, with its head held high, desperately trying to breathe, which is very lifelike. The second is a very complete skull of Pingyongchuanosaurus, with clear skin texture and teeth. In fact, skull fossils are very precious and rare to be complete, one is difficult to separate from the fossils, and the other is easily broken and deformed and perished in the soil during geological changes. The third is a trace fossil, with clearly visible scale-like dinosaur skin fossils, which also overturns our understanding of dinosaur skin. It turns out that dinosaur skin is not smooth, but covered with scales. Xian Shi Ancient Town Keywords: Millennium Ancient Town, Salt Guild Hall A millennium-old town full of worldly life, it is one of the few ancient towns where I have rarely heard non-local dialects. Sitting in a small shop on the main street of the ancient town, eating double-cooked pork, watching the proprietress greeting acquaintances and bargaining with tourists in Sichuan dialect over specialty ingredients, I felt as if I was in the scene of the movie 'Furong Town', somewhat dazed. The ancient town is not large, but it hides many salt guild halls of various sizes. Among them, the Guanyin Hall of the Fujian Salt Guild, the Nanhua Palace of the Guangdong Salt Guild, and the Jiangxi Temple of the Jiangxi Salt Guild are all buildings that have been preserved to this day and are worth a visit. The most impressive is the Guanyin Hall of the Fujian Salt Guild, which uses a piece of millennium-old Phellodendron wood as a beam, symbolizing 'a house full of gold', which makes one imagine the wealth and prosperity of the salt guilds back then. You can also go to the distillery in the town that is still brewing to this day, taste some new wine, go to the teahouse by the river to drink a cup of tea, and enjoy the golden rapeseed flowers. In short, the relaxation and ease of the people of Shu seem to have never changed in this ancient town for a thousand years. Zigong·China Lantern World Keywords: Lantern City The lantern festival that started in the Tang and Song dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties was one of the highlights of my trip. The scene from Jiaxuan's poem 'The east wind blows thousands of trees at night, and stars fall like rain. The fragrance fills the road with precious horses and carved carriages, the sound of phoenix flutes moves, the light of the jade pot turns, and fish and dragons dance all night' comes to life here. The New Year Lantern Festival, which runs from the Spring Festival to the end of March, is the climax of the lanterns, with people entering from 4 pm to midnight, and it is really crowded, but it is really worth a visit. It is recommended to first visit the Lantern Museum located in People's Park during the day for a preliminary understanding, and then head to the lantern festival at night. Salt Industry History Museum Keywords: Western Qin Guild Hall Located in the city, the Salt Industry History Museum was originally a guild hall built by Shaanxi salt merchants during the Qing Dynasty. The museum details the history of salt industry development and shows the process of well salt extraction. The highlight is the architectural complex completed over 16 years starting from the first year of Emperor Qianlong, with its majestic eaves and exquisite gardens that are unforgettable. Shenhai Well Keywords: First, Kilometer Shenhai Well is the first well in human drilling history to exceed one kilometer in depth, drilled using the traditional Chinese percussion drilling technique dating back to the Song Dynasty in the 15th year of the Daoguang era, with a depth of 1001.42 meters. This 180-year-old salt well can still produce salt today. Except for the power being changed to electric motors and the ropes to steel wires, the other main components have retained their original appearance. On-site, you can pay 150 yuan to watch the salt extraction process up close. 🍽 Cuisine: Zigong's cuisine is also memorable. The unique Eight Treasure Porridge, the beautiful and tempting Bird's Nest Silk, the famous Cold Rabbit, the minced beef stir-fry, the afternoon tea at Wangye Temple... countless, if you have time, you must check them all out. 🚉 Transportation Tips: Route 1: Chengdu Tianfu Airport - Zigong (High-speed train 40 minutes) Route 2: Chengdu - Zigong (Self-driving 2 hours) You can stop by to see the Rong County Giant Buddha on the way Route 3: Yibin Airport - Yibin High-speed Train - Zigong (The whole journey is about 1.5 hours) Route 4: Yibin Airport - Zigong (Highway 50 minutes) Zigong does not have an airport, but it has high-speed rail, and the highways are also very convenient.

The Shisun Mountain Scenic Area in Rong County, Zigong City, Sichuan Province is located in Tiechang Town, below the Gaoshitai Forest Park, and can also be considered a part of the Gaoshitai Forest Park, as well as a part of the Zigong World Geopark. The Shisun Mountain Scenic Area is named for a small mountain whose shape closely resembles a stalagmite, with a farmhouse tea garden and a leisure holiday farm next to it. The air here is fresh, and the vegetation of the Gaoshitai National Forest Park gives this place a unique natural advantage, with temperatures also a few degrees lower than in the urban areas.

This place is not Maitreya, but it also has creative displays with an art theme just like Maitreya. 📝 Rong County Pottery: Rong County has a long history of pottery making that spans over 2000 years, dating back to the pre-Qin period. The development of pottery in Rong County is closely related to the ancient Shu kingdom's iron smelting and salt-making industries. During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang led troops to the Iron Mountain range in Rong County to smelt iron and make weapons, and remnants of ancient iron furnaces still exist. The prosperity of the salt and iron industries spurred the rapid development of the pottery industry. 📍 Navigation address: Rong County Pottery Creative Park The park is not large, with a total of four floors, and the main visiting areas are on the first and fourth floors. The first floor features a variety of pottery art displays and also has teenagers learning pottery painting art. The fourth floor hosts an exhibition of pottery and ink painting. 🗓 Rong County Weekend Itinerary: Rong County is an hour away from Zigong. As a travel destination, it is not yet on the list of popular travel destinations, but if the theme is food, the pleasure is hiking, and the purpose is to travel with pets, Rong County is definitely a choice you won't regret. 🖼 Food as the Sky: 1. Tofu pudding cooked in peanut milk, served with dipping hot pepper sauce. Recommended: Houshan Tofu Pudding (Xincheng Store) 2. Roasted rabbit is not unusual, but have you ever tried roasted rabbit ears? Recommended: Glasses Barbecue ⏳ For hiking and pet companionship: 1. Sichuan specialty tea products, Longdu Fragrant Tea's tea plantation base, Rong County Shisun Gorge Scenic Area. 2. Rich in oxygen, forest hiking, Gaoshitai National Forest Park.

It has been many years now, every time spring arrives with its warm weather and blooming flowers, my classmates and I make it a point to visit Wulipo in Rong County to see the spring blossoms. It takes about an hour to drive from Zigong city center to Wulipo. In spring, we avoid the highways and take the old roads instead, where the charming spring scenery and beautiful rural landscapes accompany us along the way. Over the years, Rong County has leveraged its unique characteristics to vigorously develop rural tourism. Wulipo is located in Dajing Village, Xuyang Town of Rong County. Since March, the mountains have been a competition of splendor, with cherry blossoms just having finished blooming, and now welcoming the 'apricot blossom season.' The apricot groves seem to light up overnight, with apricot blossoms in full bloom, clustering around the warmth of the spring days like clouds. Yesterday, a few of us classmates went to Wulipo again to see the flowers. Although it's the same fruit blossoms we see every year, we never tire of them. The spring breeze blows, scattering apricot petals all over the soil. The apricot blossoms have a short blooming period and will be gone in a couple of days. However, there are still plum blossoms, peach blossoms, pear blossoms, jasmine, osmanthus, and so on. It's worth mentioning that the rapeseed flowers are also blooming brilliantly, and we took many photos of them. The beautiful rural scenery is endless and can't be captured enough. Throughout March, Wulipo is like a tapestry of blooming flowers, and the rural scenery is as picturesque as a poem. After enjoying the flowers, we buy some fresh fruits, vegetables, and sweet potatoes from the local villagers selling them by the roadside. For lunch, we eat at a farmhouse restaurant. The 'one chicken four ways' dish at this Happy Farmhouse Restaurant is delicious😋, and I particularly enjoy their spicy chicken and konjac stewed chicken. I quickly took a photo of their phone number to recommend to everyone. For those who want to see the flowers, don't miss out on Wulipo in Rong County. Here, there's not only fruit blossoms but also jasmine and osmanthus specifically grown for making floral tea. So, for springtime flower viewing, Wulipo is the right place to go.

Night Walk at Jinhua