Tea Horse Road - Huichai Kou Ancient Salt Route

Tea Horse Road - Huichai Kou Ancient Salt Route

Huichai Kou, also known as Neichai Kou or Huichai Kou, was called Chaisi Kou during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Located on the south bank of Zhangjia Tuo in Ziliujing, a left turn onto a flagstone path leading to the mountaintop brings you to Neichai Kou, which during the Ming and Qing periods served as a vital passage into Ziliujing. Since Ziliujing produced salt, a large amount of firewood was naturally required. Neichai Kou gained its name as a hub for the distribution of firewood and charcoal. This area was established relatively early, reportedly even before “Ziliujing.”

Zigong’s Ziliujing was originally under the jurisdiction of the ancient Jiangyang County and had been producing well salt since the second year of the Hehe era during the Northern Zhou Dynasty (567 AD). During the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenguan era, up to 3,660 stones of salt were produced monthly. In addition to water transport, large quantities of well salt were carried from Ziliujing District—along the stone steps beside the Fuxi River at Zhangjia Tuo—and transported to other regions via porters and pack horses along flagstone paths. The Fuxi River saw thousands of boats setting off, while land routes bustled with traffic, driving the prosperity of a bustling commercial scene complete with restaurants, teahouses, inns, oil mills, general stores, and daily necessities. This gave rise to a thousand-year-old ancient salt route stretching from Zhangjia Tuo to Huichai Kou.