[4] Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis was named for the place it was found, near the village Shibei in Gong County (珙县; Pinyin: Gǒng Xiàn).

A recent analysis by Apaldetti et al. (2011) suggests that Gongxianosaurus was more basal than Vulcanodon, Tazoudasaurus and Isanosaurus, but more derived than the early sauropods Antetonitrus, Lessemsaurus, Blikanasaurus, Camelotia and Melanorosaurus.

[6] Gongxianosaurus fossils were found near the village of Shibei (Sichuan province) in purple mudstones pertaining to the Ziliujing Formation (Dongyuemiao Member).

[1][7] Thus, Gongxianosaurus, unlike it was previously thought, is geologically coeval with the "prosauropod" Lufengosaurus but older than the basal sauropod Shunosaurus.

[3] Melanorosaurus Camelotia Blikanasaurus Lessemsaurus Antetonitrus Gongxianosaurus Vulcanodon Tazoudasaurus Isanosaurus Eusauropoda The fossils were found in May 1997 during a geological exploration.

[3] The sauropod material includes four fragmentary to complete individuals similar in size, together encompassing most of the skeleton, though hand and skull bones were not found except a premaxilla and teeth.

In 1998, the sauropod material was briefly described as a new genus and species, Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis, in a preliminary note by palaeontologists led by He Xinlu.