The Ancient Yuban Salt Road

The Ancient Yuban Salt Road

The Ancient Yuban Salt Road is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Salt Pond Prohibited Wall and Ancient Yuban Salt Road (Fourth Batch of Provincial Heritage)

Salt Pond Prohibited Wall and Ancient Yuban Salt Road

Era: Neolithic to Qing Dynasty

Address: From Muhe Village, Dongguo Town, Yanhu District to the southern boundary of Pingtoupu, Zhangdian Town, Pinglu County, along the northern foothills of the Zhongtiao Mountains

The Yuncheng Salt Pond is one of China’s oldest salt lakes. According to the Commentary on the Water Classic: “The pond stretches 70 li from east to west and 17 li from north to south.” To prevent salt theft⁰ and protect tax revenue, during the Tang Dynasty, a prohibited wall (also called a forbidden enclosure) was built around 120 li of the salt pond. It was repaired during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with most of the current walls dating back to the Qing. Today, much of the wall has been destroyed, but remnants still remain winding along the terrain. A relatively well-preserved section extends from the Salt God Temple to the Second Salt Chemical Plant, and another from the Second Plant to Jiezhou.

The Ancient Yuban Salt Road was first carved out in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. In the eighth year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, imperial censor Zhang Shilong expanded the bluestone groove section. It fell out of use in the early 1950s. The salt road descends from Pingtoupu in Zhangdian Town and exits at the southern foot of Nanshan in Muhe Village, Dongguo Town, Yanhu District. Along the route, the mountainous terrain is rugged, roads wind steeply, and the path is uneven. The surviving road is about 2–4 meters wide and approximately 8 kilometers long.

Dongguo Town: Located in Yanhu District, Dongguo Town borders the Zhongtiao Mountains to the south, faces the salt lake flats to the north, and neighbors Pinglu County and Xia County. With a population of 16,000, ten administrative villages, and 21,000 mu of arable land, it is a historic cultural town with convenient transportation and abundant resources. In recent years, urban development and private enterprises have advanced rapidly. In 2003, it was awarded the title of “Civilized Town of Shanxi Province” and designated as a National Key Small Town.

Ancestral Culture

1. Ancient Chiyou City Ruins

2. Chiyou Tomb Mound

3. Yellow Emperor vs. Chiyou Battle Site … Dongguo Town Detailed Information++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units