Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Burial Site

Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Burial Site

The Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Burial Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

The Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Site is located near Dashanpu Town, approximately 11 kilometers northeast of Zigong City in Sichuan Province. It is a site rich in fossils of dinosaurs and other vertebrates from the Middle Jurassic period, around 160 million years ago. It is China’s most important dinosaur fossil burial ground and one of the world’s most significant paleontological fossil sites. The site was first discovered in 1972, with initial excavations carried out in 1977, during which a relatively complete sauropod dinosaur skeleton was unearthed. In 1979, a large number of fossils were exposed due to construction work. Between 1979 and 1984, three large-scale clean-up and excavation operations were conducted, uncovering over 10,000 fossil bone specimens from more than 200 individual dinosaurs and other vertebrates within an area of about 2,800 square meters. These have been studied and classified into 18 genera and 21 species, including dinosaurs, fish, amphibians, turtles, crocodilians, pterosaurs, and mammal-like reptiles. It is estimated that the entire fossil group was concentrated in a burial area of about 17,000 square meters, with over 100,000 fossil bones, earning it the title "Dinosaur Cemetery." In the mid-1980s, China’s first large-scale dinosaur fossil museum—the Zigong Dinosaur Museum—was built on this site.

The Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Site is characterized by its massive quantity of fossils, wide variety of species, concentrated burial, and excellent preservation. As a rare natural historical heritage, the fossils found here not only hold significant value for science education and tourism but also fill a gap in the evolutionary history of dinosaurs by providing crucial fossil material from the early to middle Jurassic period. They are of great scientific importance for studying the systematic evolution, physiological characteristics, and living environments of dinosaurs and related ancient animals.

Protected area: 120 meters beyond the perimeter wall of the Dinosaur Museum.

Construction control zone: the boundary as defined by the “Dinosaur Park” planning scheme.