Universal Dinosaur Town is located in Xinbei District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction, a comprehensive tourist resort centered on dinosaur culture, integrating theme parks, cultural performances, popular science education, hot spring vacations, and commercial leisure. It covers a total area of approximately 4,800 mu. The core area of the scenic spot includes several sectors such as China Dinosaur Park, Dinosaur Valley Hot Spring, Dinosaur City Grand Theatre, and Dino Water Town. Among them, China Dinosaur Park, as the core theme park, covers an area of about 600 mu, with 7 major themed areas, more than 50 amusement facilities, and more than 20 characteristic performances. With "dinosaurs" as its unique IP, it combines ancient dinosaur culture with modern amusement experiences. It is the largest and most well-equipped dinosaur-themed tourist resort in China, receiving over 3 million visitors annually and known as the "Oriental Jurassic".
Historical Culture
The cultural core of Universal Dinosaur Town stems from the rich dinosaur fossil resources in Changzhou. Located in the hinterland of the Yangtze River Delta, Changzhou is one of the important places for dinosaur fossil discoveries in China. Since the 1970s, a large number of dinosaur fossils have been successively found in Changzhou and its surrounding areas, including species with important scientific research value such as Sinosauropteryx and Jiangsuosaurus, laying a solid geological and scientific foundation for the dissemination of dinosaur culture.
Based on this unique geological heritage, Universal Dinosaur City officially opened to the public in 2000. Through theme parks, museums and other forms, it transforms professional paleontological knowledge into cultural and tourism experiences accessible to the general public. The China Dinosaur Museum within the scenic area is the first national-level museum themed on dinosaurs in China, housing over 1,000 dinosaur fossil specimens. Among them, the skeleton of the "Giant Shantungosaurus" is 14.7 meters long and 8 meters high, which is currently the largest hadrosaur fossil found in China, boasting extremely high scientific research and exhibition value.
After more than 20 years of development, Universal Dinosaur Town has formed a cultural system featuring "popular science + entertainment". Through regular dinosaur fossil exhibitions, lectures by paleontologists, youth science camps, and other activities, dinosaur culture has moved from the field of scientific research to public life, becoming a cultural landmark in Changzhou and even the Yangtze River Delta region.
Main Attractions
China Dinosaur Park
China Dinosaur Park is the core area of Universal Dinosaur Town, covering an area of about 600 mu, divided into 7 major themed areas such as Dinosaur Kingdom, Lubula, Kukuxuke, Magic Rainforest, and Fantasy Manor. The park has more than 50 amusement facilities. Among them, "Guoshanlong" is China's first 4D roller coaster, with a track length of 1,050 meters and a maximum speed of 126 km/h, including exciting elements such as 360-degree flips and high-altitude dives; "Water and Fire Power" combines roller coasters with water and fire special effects, allowing tourists to experience the sensory impact of "the fusion of water and fire" during high-speed movement. In addition, the "Dinosaur Parade" in the park is held daily, consisting of more than 20 themed floats and over 100 actors, reproducing the fantasy scenes of the dinosaur era, with a parade duration of about 40 minutes.
China Dinosaur Museum
China Dinosaur Museum is located in China Dinosaur Park, with a construction area of 14,000 square meters. It is a dinosaur-themed museum integrating collection, exhibition, and research. The museum is divided into two parts: the underground fossil site hall and the above-ground exhibition hall. The underground hall restores the dinosaur fossil excavation site, displaying sedimentary rocks and fossil layers of different geological ages; the above-ground hall systematically presents the evolutionary history of dinosaurs from birth to extinction through three exhibition areas: "Dawn of the Dinosaur Age", "Glory of the Dinosaur Age", and "Extinction of the Dinosaur Age". The most representative exhibits in the museum are the skeletons of "Giant Shantungosaurus" and "Lufengosaurus huenei". Among them, "Lufengosaurus huenei" is the first mounted dinosaur fossil in China, known as "China's First Dinosaur".
Dinosaur Valley Hot Spring
Dinosaur Valley Hot Spring covers an area of about 100 mu and is a large-scale hot spring resort in the East China region, with more than 60 outdoor hot spring pools, divided into themed areas such as health preservation area, dynamic area, and parent-child area. The hot spring water comes from 2,000 meters underground, with an outlet temperature of 55°C, rich in various minerals such as metasilicic acid, strontium, and calcium, and has certain health-preserving and health-care effects. Among them, the "Jurassic Hot Spring Group" is decorated with dinosaur elements, combining hot spring pools with dinosaur sculptures and ancient vegetation to create an immersive ancient environment; the "Private Hot Spring Houses" provide independent courtyards and hot spring pools, suitable for families or groups, with a single set area of about 50-100 square meters.
Dino Water Town
Dino Water Town is adjacent to China Dinosaur Park, covering an area of about 280 mu, and is a commercial and leisure street themed on dinosaur culture. The buildings in the street adopt a fusion design of European style and dinosaur elements, with more than 100 shops covering catering, shopping, entertainment, and other formats. The core landmark "Longitude 120° Observation Tower" is 120 meters high, the only observation tower named after a meridian in the world. Climbing to the top of the tower, you can overlook the panoramic view of Universal Dinosaur Town. Every night at 19:00 and 20:30, a "light show + water curtain movie" is staged in the central square of the water town, reproducing the changes of the dinosaur era through light and shadow technology, with a duration of about 15 minutes.
Dinosaur City Grand Theatre
Dinosaur City Grand Theatre has a construction area of about 12,000 square meters and can accommodate 1,200 audiences. It is a comprehensive venue integrating performances and conferences. The resident performance of the theater, "The Return of Dinosaurs", is a large-scale live-action sci-fi drama, telling the story of the encounter between humans and dinosaurs across time and space through mechanical dinosaurs, holographic projections, stage special effects, and other technologies, with a performance duration of about 70 minutes. The theater also holds concerts, children's plays, and other activities from time to time to meet the cultural needs of different groups.
Food
Dinosaur-themed Meals
Restaurants in China Dinosaur Park offer a variety of dinosaur-shaped meals. Among them, "Dinosaur Claw Chicken Wings" are made by selecting chicken wings, marinating them specially, and then frying them. They look like dinosaur claws, and are eaten with tomato sauce, with a crispy outside and tender inside. A serving is about 38 yuan; "Dinosaur Egg Pudding" is made of fruits such as mango and strawberry, shaped like dinosaur eggs, and has a smooth taste after being refrigerated, with a single serving price of 15 yuan. These meals are mainly distributed in "Jurassic Restaurant" and "Rainforest Restaurant" in the park, suitable for parent-child families to taste.
Changzhou Dama Cake
Changzhou Dama Cake is a local traditional famous pastry. You can taste the authentic flavor in the "Changzhou Time-honored Food Street" in Dino Water Town. It is mainly made of flour, added with sesame, chopped green onions, and other seasonings, and baked. It is divided into sweet and salty flavors, with a crispy outer skin and a soft inner filling. A piece is about 8 yuan. It is recommended to go to time-honored stores such as "Mafuxing" and "Yinggui Steamed Bun Shop", which are limited in supply every day and made and sold on the spot.
Tianmu Lake Casserole Fish Head
The branch of "Tianmu Lake Hotel" around Universal Dinosaur Town provides authentic Tianmu Lake Casserole Fish Head. It uses the special bighead fish from Tianmu Lake, with a fish head weight of about 2.5-3 catties, matched with ingredients such as tofu and bamboo shoots, and simmered in a casserole for more than 2 hours. The soup is milky white and delicious, with a serving price of about 168 yuan. The restaurant is about 3 kilometers away from the scenic area, suitable for group dinners, and needs to be booked 1 hour in advance.
Silver Thread Noodles
Silver thread noodles are a characteristic pasta of Changzhou, which can be tasted at "Silver Thread Noodle Restaurant" in Dino Water Town. The noodles are as thin as silver threads and remain undamaged even after long cooking. They are served with chicken soup or bone soup, and topped with shrimps, eel shreds, etc. A bowl costs about 25-40 yuan. "Eel shreds silver thread noodles" is recommended, with tender eel shreds and smooth noodles, and it is one of the favorite breakfasts of local residents.
Tickets
Each attraction in the scenic area is charged separately. Tickets start from 100 yuan.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "中华恐龙园" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
China Dinosaur Park opening hours: Peak season (March - November) 9:00 - 17:30, with extended hours until 22:00 from July to August; Off-season (December - February of the following year) 9:30 - 17:00.
Dinosaur Valley Hot Spring opening hours: Monday to Thursday 13:00 - 23:00, Friday to Sunday and holidays 10:00 - 24:00.
China Dinosaur Museum has the same opening hours as China Dinosaur Park, and admission is stopped 1 hour before closing.
Dino Water Town is open all day, and shops are open from 10:00 to 22:00; The performance time of "The Return of Dinosaurs" at Dinosaur City Grand Theatre is 19:30 - 20:40 (closed on Tuesdays).
Tour Routes
One-day Parent-child Tour
Arrive at China Dinosaur Park at 9:00 am, first visit China Dinosaur Museum, watch the dinosaur fossil exhibition, and participate in the "Little Archaeologist" interactive experience (needs advance reservation, free of charge), which takes about 1.5 hours; At 10:30, go to the "Fantasy Manor" area to experience parent-child amusement facilities such as "Rotating Dinosaur Car" and "Samba Balloon", which takes about 2 hours. Have lunch at "Jurassic Restaurant" and taste dinosaur-themed meals. Watch the "Dinosaur Parade" at 13:30 pm, then go to the "Magic Rainforest" area to experience mild projects such as "King Kong" and "Pterosaur Shuttle"; At 16:00, go to Dino Water Town to participate in the "Dinosaur Knowledge Quiz" interactive game to win small gifts; Watch the water town light show at 19:00 and end the day's trip.
Two-day In-depth Tour
On the morning of the first day, visit China Dinosaur Park, focus on experiencing exciting projects such as "Guoshanlong" and "Water and Fire Power", and watch the "Dinosaur Crisis" 4D movie at 11:00; In the afternoon, visit China Dinosaur Museum to learn about the evolutionary history of dinosaurs; In the evening, go to Dinosaur Valley Hot Spring to experience the night hot spring and stay in the hot spring resort hotel. On the morning of the second day, go shopping in Dino Water Town to buy dinosaur-themed souvenirs; At noon, taste Changzhou specialties such as Dama Cake and Silver Thread Noodles; Watch the performance of "The Return of Dinosaurs" at Dinosaur City Grand Theatre at 14:00 pm and return around 16:00.
Transportation
- Subway: Take Changzhou Metro Line 1 to "Dinosaur Park Station" (Exit 3), walk for about 5 minutes to reach the entrance of China Dinosaur Park; Metro Line 1 operates from 6:00 to 22:00, with a departure interval of about 7 minutes, and it takes about 30 minutes from Changzhou Railway Station to Dinosaur Park Station.
- Bus: Take buses No. 29, 302, 50, Y2, etc. to "Dinosaur City Bus Hub" Station, walk for 3 minutes to reach; Buses operate from 5:30 to 21:30, with a departure interval of 8-15 minutes, and the fare is 2 yuan.
- Self-driving: Starting from Shanghai, take the Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway (G42) to Changzhou North Exit, take Longcheng Avenue Elevated Road to Hanjiang Road Exit, and directly reach the scenic spot parking lot. The whole journey is about 180 kilometers, taking 2 hours; The parking fee of the scenic spot parking lot is 5 yuan per hour, with a daily cap of 30 yuan.
- High-speed rail: Take the high-speed rail to Changzhou North Station, transfer to Metro Line 1 (towards Forest Park) to Dinosaur Park Station, the whole journey is about 20 minutes; It takes about 15 minutes to take a taxi from Changzhou Station to the scenic spot, with a cost of about 25 yuan.
Must-visit Attractions
- China Dinosaur Museum: With a construction area of 14,000 square meters, it houses precious fossils such as "Giant Shantungosaurus" and "Lufengosaurus huenei". It is the core place to understand the evolutionary history of dinosaurs. The underground fossil site hall restores the excavation site, with extremely high popular science value.
- Guoshanlong Roller Coaster: With a track length of 1,050 meters and a maximum speed of 126 km/h, it is China's first 4D roller coaster, combining special effects such as flipping and diving. It is a landmark exciting project in China Dinosaur Park, suitable for tourists pursuing an adrenaline rush experience.
- "Jurassic Hot Spring Group" in Dinosaur Valley Hot Spring: It has more than 60 hot spring pools, themed with dinosaur elements. The hot spring water is rich in minerals. Among them, the "Dragon Pool" has a diameter of 15 meters, with a giant dinosaur sculpture in the center, which is the most characteristic hot spring experience area in the scenic spot.
Travel Suggestions
- Best travel season: Spring and autumn (April - May, September - October), with cool climate, suitable for outdoor activities; In summer (July - August), you can experience the night session to avoid the high temperature during the day, and there are special summer performances.
- Time arrangement: It is recommended to spend 1 day in China Dinosaur Park. If you want to experience the hot spring, you can arrange a 2-day and 1-night trip; There are fewer tourists on weekdays, with shorter queuing time. On weekends and holidays, you need to enter the park 1 hour in advance.
- Dining suggestions: The catering price in the park is relatively high, so you can bring a small amount of snacks by yourself; For regular meals, it is recommended to go to Dino Water Town, with a variety of choices and moderate prices, with an average consumption of about 50-80 yuan per person.
- Equipment suggestions: Bring sunscreen and sun hat in summer; Bring your own swimsuit for hot spring in winter, as the price in the scenic area is relatively high (about 100-300 yuan per set).
- Children's facilities: There are baby stroller rental points in the scenic area (50 yuan per day, with a deposit of 300 yuan). The "Fantasy Manor" area has children's restrooms and mother-and-baby rooms, convenient for parent-child families.
Matters Needing Attention
- Safety tips: When taking exciting facilities such as roller coasters, you must abide by the height and health requirements (for example, people with heart disease are prohibited from taking them), and fasten your seat belt; The ground in the hot spring area is slippery, so you need to wear non-slip slippers.
- Crowd control: China Dinosaur Park may be restricted during holidays. It is recommended to buy tickets online 1 day in advance, and enter the park directly with your ID card without exchanging tickets.
- Property storage: There are lockers in the scenic area, 20 yuan per day for small lockers and 30 yuan per day for large lockers; Do not carry valuables when playing to avoid loss.
- Performance arrangement: Activities such as "Dinosaur Parade" and "Light Show" may be canceled due to weather. It is recommended to get a paper guide map when entering the park or pay attention to the official public account to check real-time information.
- Consumption tips: Some shops in Dino Water Town accept scenic area consumption coupons (which can be obtained on official platforms). It is recommended to buy dinosaur-themed souvenirs at the exit of the scenic area, where the prices are relatively uniform.