汉译英翻译实践案例3：
《盐城，从古至今的盐韵》
第一章煮海肇始：古代盐业的奠基
盐，这维系生命的基本元素，自人类文明曙光初现便超越了其生理属性，深刻嵌入社会经济结构与国家权力的肌理之中。在中国数千年的文明进程中，盐业不仅关乎民生日用，更成为驱动财政运转、塑造区域发展、乃至影响王朝兴衰的关键性力量。其重要性，源于盐作为必需品无可替代的地位，更在于围绕其生产、流通与管理所构建的庞大而复杂的盐业经济政治体系。
地处黄海之滨的盐城，其命运与海盐生产血脉相连。这片土地早在史前时代（约6000年前）便有先民活动，其滨海的地理禀赋——漫长的海岸线、广阔的滩涂与丰富的卤源，为煮海为盐提供了得天独厚的自然条件。秦汉之际，煮海兴利，穿渠通达的记载，标志着盐城地区盐业规模化生产的兴起与区域初步繁荣。行政建置紧随产业步伐：汉武帝时期（前119年）因盐渎河（运盐之河）设盐渎县，东晋义熙七年（411年）升格并正式定名盐城县，其命名本身即是盐业核心地位的明证。至唐代，作为全国最重要的海盐产区之一，盐城境内设有海陵、盐城二监，跻身国家盐业管理体系的核心节点。
盐业生产的规模与效益令人瞩目。据《元和郡县志》载，海陵监岁煮盐六十万石，盐城监每岁煮盐四十五万石，产量冠绝东南。元代中叶，盐城境内十三场产盐占两淮总产的76%，而两淮盐产量又雄踞全国之首。明清时期，盐税更成国家命脉，清乾隆年间两淮盐税竟占全国税收四分之一，两淮盐课甲天下之誉，实至名归。清乾隆《盐城县志》所载为民生利，乃城海上，环城皆盐场，故名盐城，不仅解释了城名由来，更揭示了盐业是城市生存与发展的根本动力。
盐城古代盐业的辉煌，绝非偶然。其根基在于：1.早期先民对滨海盐业资源的认知与开拓：古淮夷先民如何在这片土地上发现并初步利用盐业资源，奠定了最初的产业基础？传说中的夙沙氏煮海传说又折射出怎样的早期盐业起源信息？2.盐业驱动下的行政建制与区域发展：从盐渎设县到盐城定名，行政建置如何因盐而兴，又反过来如何服务于盐业管理与资源整合？环城皆盐场的空间格局如何塑造了城市雏形？3. 海盐生产技术的持续演进：从原始的煮海为盐到更为高效的煎盐工艺，生产工具与技术经历了怎样的革新？这些技术进步如何显著提升了盐的产量与质量？
本章《煮海肇始：古代盐业的奠基》旨在深入探究盐城古代盐业体系的形成与发展。我们将聚焦上述三个相互关联的维度，揭示自然环境、先民智慧与技术革新如何共同作用，在盐城这片沃土上，构建起一个支撑区域繁荣与国家财赋的庞大盐业根基，并为后世绵延千载的盐韵文化奠定了坚实的物质与制度基础。
第一节淮夷先民与早期盐迹
一、夙沙氏传说：盐业起源的文化记忆与历史投射
人类对自然资源的认知与利用，往往伴随着悠远的文化记忆。在中国海盐起源的宏大叙事中，夙沙氏的传说占据了核心位置，成为后世追溯盐业肇始的重要文化符号。
(一) 传说的核心内容及其文本源流
关于夙沙氏的最早系统记载，见于汉代史游所著蒙学读物《急就篇》：盐生于咸水者也。古者夙沙氏初煮海为盐，其后又出河东大卤，临邛火井焉。今则处处有之矣。此记载明确将煮海为盐的首创之功归于夙沙氏，并将其时代定位在远古，早于内陆的池盐与井盐的发现。这奠定了夙沙氏作为海盐始祖的基本叙事框架。
传说细节在后世文献中得到进一步演绎。流传较广的故事版本描述了夙沙氏在煮食海鱼时因意外离场，海水蒸干后留下白色咸末，从而偶然发现了盐。这一发现过程，被赋予了与许多重大发明相似的偶然中的必然色彩。
(二) 夙沙氏的身份与部落地望
夙沙氏的身份，在古籍中常与上古部落首领或方国相联系。战国末年的《吕氏春秋·用民篇》及后世《通志》等文献提供了关键线索：夙沙氏之民，自攻其君而归神农。宋人郑樵《通志》更引《英贤传》称夙沙氏为炎帝时侯国，并记载其因君主暴虐，民众叛离归附神农氏（炎帝）。这些记载虽属传说范畴，但强烈暗示夙沙部落是活动于东部沿海（今山东半岛一带）、与炎帝部落联盟关系密切的一个重要群体。
值得注意的是，战国文献《世本》中提及夙沙瞿子善煮盐，使煮滔沙，虽十宿不能得。 这里出现了具体人名夙沙瞿子，并将其塑造为夙沙部落中技艺精熟的煮盐专家。这反映了传说在流传过程中，从模糊的部落始祖向具体的技术能人形象的演变，也暗示了煮盐技术在部落内部的传承与专业化可能已达到相当水平。
(三) 传说折射的历史真实与文化意义
尽管夙沙氏其人的历史真实性难以确证，但该传说具有重要的历史投射与文化象征意义。
1. 对海盐起源的合理化解释
传说将海盐生产的起源归功于一个具体的发明者，符合人类早期对重要技艺起源的普遍解释模式。
2. 反映早期沿海部落的盐业实践
传说将夙沙部落定位于山东沿海，并与鱼盐之利紧密关联，这很可能反映了新石器时代晚期至夏商时期，东部滨海地区（包括今山东、苏北沿海）的原始部落已掌握并依赖海水煮盐技术的史实。考古发现，如山东寿光双王城发现的商周时期大规模盐业遗址群，为这一区域悠久的制盐传统提供了坚实的物质证据。
3. 奠定盐宗信仰的基础
夙沙氏被后世尊奉为盐宗，成为盐业供奉的最高始祖神。历代修建盐宗庙进行祭祀，如文献记载北宋以前河东解州即有盐宗庙，清代乔松年更在扬州、泰州建庙，主祀夙沙氏，配祀胶鬲（著名盐商）、管仲（盐政鼻祖）。这种祭祀格局，清晰地体现了传统社会对盐业链条中生产第一性的朴素认知——尊崇技术的发明者（夙沙氏）高于流通者（胶鬲）和管理者（管仲）。
(四) 夙沙传说与盐城早期盐迹的关联性
对于盐城地区而言，夙沙氏传说虽主要流传于山东，但其象征意义具有普遍性。盐城所在的苏北沿海，地理环境（滩涂、卤源）与山东半岛高度相似，同属早期海盐生产可能发生的区域。传说的核心价值在于它印证了一个重要的历史事实：中国东部沿海利用海水制盐的历史极为悠久，其开端远早于有文字明确记载的时代，可追溯至新石器时代晚期或更早。盐城地区作为后世海盐生产重镇，其早期盐业活动正是这一宏大历史进程的重要组成部分。夙沙氏传说，作为关于盐业起源的集体文化记忆，为我们理解盐城乃至整个中国沿海地区海盐生产的史前史或萌芽期，提供了一把象征性的钥匙。
二、淮夷部落：盐阜地域的早期族群及其历史演进
盐阜大地作为淮河下游的滨海区域，其早期文明的缔造者与主要承载者，是上古时期活跃于东方的夷人部落集团中的一支——淮夷。理解淮夷的族源、社会形态及其与中原王朝的互动关系，是把握盐城地区史前及夏商周时期人文背景的关键。
(一) 族源追溯与地理分布
淮夷的族源传说可追溯至上古神话谱系，常与太皞（伏羲氏）相联系。太皞被尊为东方之帝，传说中其功绩包括教民渔猎畜牧（如结网技术），反映了东部滨海族群早期的生业模式特征。
在民族学与历史地理学视野下，东方夷人并非单一族群，而是包含众多部落的庞大集团，古籍有九夷之称。依据地域与文化差异，可大致划分为：东夷（山东半岛）、北夷（辽东至朝鲜半岛）、舒夷（淮河中上游）及淮夷（淮河下游近海地带）。清代地理学家胡渭在《禹贡锥指》中明确指出，淮夷的活动范围涵盖今淮、扬二府近海之地，这清晰地标定了盐城地区正处于淮夷的核心分布区。
(二) 社会形态与文化面貌
盐阜地区（如阜宁陆庄、东台开庄等）出土的新石器时代至商周时期考古遗存，为揭示淮夷先民的社会发展提供了实物证据。这些遗存表明：
1. 社会结构演进
经历了从母系氏族社会（以女性为中心，族外群婚制）向父系氏族社会（男性主导，向对偶婚及一夫一妻制过渡）的转变过程。这种转变与经济活动中男性地位的上升密切相关。
2. 生产技术与生业
使用磨制精细的石器（石刀、石斧、石镞等），掌握制陶技术（生产带纹饰的陶器），具备原始纺织能力（纺轮出土），并已出现稻作农业的迹象。滨海地理环境决定了其生业模式是渔猎（河海鱼类、禽兽）与早期农耕并存。
3. 物质与精神生活
定居生活（棚屋遗迹）、熟食习俗、以及装饰品（石环、玉坠）的使用，反映了物质生活的改善和审美意识的萌芽。
(三) 与中原王朝的冲突融合
淮夷及其所属的东夷集团，因其相对独立的文化体系和强大的实力，与中原夏、商、周王朝长期处于时叛时服、冲突不断的紧张关系中，这种互动深刻影响了区域历史进程。
夏朝的压迫政策激起夷人反抗（《后汉书·东夷传》载太康失德、桀时诸夷内侵）。商朝虽发源于东方，与夷人有亲缘（如玄鸟图腾），但中后期夷人势力坐大构成严重威胁。商王帝乙、帝辛（纣王）持续东征，消耗巨大国力。纣王虽取得军事胜利，却因主力东调导致西方空虚，最终被周武王所灭。商代对东夷的战争客观上加速了中原文化向沿海的扩散。
周初三监之乱（管叔、蔡叔联合武庚及淮夷反叛）即凸显了淮夷的不稳定性。周公东征平定叛乱，重创淮夷（《尚书》载灭淮夷）。然而，淮夷的抵抗并未止息，穆王、厉王、宣王时期战事频仍。淮夷的顽强抗争，本质上是对周朝民族压迫政策和经济掠夺（如《兮甲盘》铭文记载周宣王掠夺淮夷士女、牛羊、吉金）的反抗。鲁国（伯禽封于曲阜）的建立旨在镇抚东方，但徐、淮并兴，东郊不开（《史记·鲁世家》）的记载），生动反映了夷人持续的压力。
随着周室衰微和诸侯争霸，屡遭打击的淮夷势力衰落，成为周边强国（吴、越、楚）争夺和兼并的对象。吴王夫差开邗沟通江淮，北上争霸之际夺淮夷地而有之。越灭吴后，淮夷地吴亡入越；楚灭越后，又越灭入楚，最终被纳入楚国江东郡的统治范围。
(四) 民族融合与历史终结
秦统一六国，推行郡县制和编户齐民政策，标志着华夏族共同体进入新的巩固阶段。曾活跃于淮河下游的淮夷部落，在长期与华夏族的互动、冲突与融合后，其独特族群身份逐渐消解。《后汉书·东夷传》称：秦并六国，其淮、泗夷皆散为民户。淮夷部众最终融入统一的秦汉帝国，成为泗水郡射阳县（涵盖今盐城大部分地区）的编户齐民。秦代以后，淮夷作为特定族群的称谓在正史中消失，标志着其作为独立政治文化实体的终结。
三、盐业探源：从自然馈赠到人工生产的文明跨越
盐（NaCI），这一维系生命活动的必需电解质，在人类文明进程中，远超越其生理属性，成为塑造经济、政治与文化格局的关键物质。探究中国盐业的源头，需从对盐的本质认知、早期发现利用及生产方式的革命性飞跃入手。
(一) 盐字源流与早期盐类认知
盐字的出现及其语义演变，是理解先民对盐认知深化的重要窗口。汉代许慎《说文解字》对盐的界定尤为关键：盐，卤也。天生曰卤，人生曰盐。从卤，监声。 此定义揭示了两层核心内涵：
1.卤与盐的物质同一性：两者皆指氯化钠结晶。
2. 获取方式的本质区分：卤指自然生成、可直接获取的盐（如盐池析出物、岩盐），而盐特指经过人工加工（如煮、煎）制成的产品。
文字记载滞后于语言与实践。金文（西周青铜器铭文）中多见卤字（如记载赏赐卤的铭文），而盐字相对晚出（约东周时期）。这一现象暗示，在周王室核心区域（渭水、黄河中游），早期主要依赖自然盐卤（如河东盐池所产），人工制盐尚未普及或未引起文字系统足够关注。商代虽曾建都近海（曲阜），但其文献中亦无明确指代海盐的盐字概念，反映了其时滨海人工盐尚未成为主流认知对象。
(二) 自然盐的发现与早期利用
人类对盐的最初认知与利用，源于生存本能，与动物趋盐行为相似。早期自然盐的发现常伴随传说，并形成几种主要类型：
1. 池盐
以山西解池（运城盐湖）为代表，其形成依赖特定气候（如南风加速蒸发）与地质条件，呈现不劳煮泼，成之自然的特性。解池盐资源在史前已被利用，其战略价值在传说时代即已显现（如有学者推测黄帝与炎帝阪泉之战或与争夺盐资源有关）。
2. 岩盐（矿盐）
分布于西北及西南内陆山地（如古代羌、胡、戎聚居区），故有戎盐、胡盐之称。其色彩因伴生矿物各异（赤、紫、青、黑、白），除食用外，《神农本草经》等早期医学典籍更强调其药用价值（如主明目，益气，坚肌骨），体现了先民对盐功能认识的拓展。
3. 沿海咸土盐
东部沿海先民可能早期通过刮取、淋滤富含盐分的滨海土壤（咸土）获取粗盐，这是利用海洋资源制盐的雏形，为后世煮海奠定了基础。
盐的起源常被赋予神话色彩。除前文已述的夙沙氏煮海传说外，中国西南地区（如四川盐源）流传着少女牧羊发现盐泉的传说；巴人史诗《后汉书》所载廪君与盐水女神的故事，则隐喻了部落对盐源地（夷水流域）的争夺与控制。这些神话虽非信史，却折射出盐资源在早期社会中的核心价值及其发现过程的神秘化叙事模式。
(三) 人工盐的革命：从卤到盐的划时代飞跃
许慎天生曰卤，人生曰盐的区分，点明了盐业史上的关键革命：人工制盐技术的出现。自然盐受限于产地、产量与品质，而人工盐（尤其是海盐与井盐）实现了对盐资源的主动开发与品质提升。
1. 海盐的优先性与优势
在人工盐中，海盐因其资源显露（广袤海水）、开采相对简易（早期煮煎）、潜力近乎无限的特性，其规模化生产通常早于井盐。夙沙氏煮海为盐的传说，正是对这一历史进程的文化记忆。盐城所在苏北沿海的早期盐迹，正是中国海盐起源宏大叙事的重要组成部分。
2. 井盐的挑战
井盐依赖寻找并开凿地下卤水层，技术门槛更高（如需要钻井技术），资源
分布也更局限，其成熟发展相对晚于海盐。
(四) 盐的地位与中国盐业史分期要略
盐被尊为百味之祖、食肴之将、国之大宝，其重要性贯穿中国古代社会。纵观中国盐业技术史，可概分为几个标志性阶段：
1. 萌芽与早期利用（史前至商周）
自然盐（池盐、岩盐、咸土盐）利用为主，海盐煮制技术初步探索。
2. 海盐技术普及与制度初建（春秋战国至秦汉）
海盐煮煎技术推广（如齐国），成为国家财源；盐业专卖制度肇始（管仲官山海），盐政成为国策。
3. 技术多样化与规模扩张（魏晋至宋元）
池盐垦畦浇晒法成熟；井盐开采技术进步；海盐生产规模持续扩大，草煎（利用芦苇等燃料）成为主流方式之一。
4. 技术革新与产业鼎盛（明清）
井盐顿钻技术实现深井开采；海盐晒法逐渐兴起并推广，与煎法并存，显著降低成本提升效率。两淮盐区（含盐城）于此期达至鼎盛。
此分期框架凸显了海盐技术（从煮煎到晒法）与盐业制度两条主线的演进，为理解盐城作为海盐重镇的崛起提供了宏观历史背景。
第二节因盐置县：行政建制的盐动力
一、沉积的文明：盐城成陆过程与历史地理证据
盐阜平原的形成，是黄海西岸漫长地质演变与河流沉积作用的产物。厘清其成陆时序与海岸线变迁，是理解盐城地区人类活动（尤其是盐业）空间基础的关键。
(一) 早期认知的局限与近代研究的突破
明清方志（如万历《盐城县志》、乾隆《盐城县志》）对盐城成陆的认知相对模糊，仅知其屹然横峙海上或处海滨广斥之中，反映了古代学者对海岸变迁史理解的局限性。现代地质学、考古学及历史地理学研究，为揭示盐城成陆史提供了坚实证据。
1. 古陆存在的确证
大丰西团等地深部沙土层中发现的晚更新世哺乳动物化石（如野猪、鹿类），经鉴定距今约2-3万年，确证该区域在当时已脱离浅海环境，形成可供大型陆生动物栖息的陆地景观。
2. 新石器时代人类活动的证据
更为重要的是，阜宁羊寨等地发现的新石器时代晚期遗存（石器、骨器），年代约在4000年前。这些遗存不仅证明其时已成陆，更表明已有依赖渔猎采集的原始人群在此繁衍生息。其生业模式与滨海环境高度契合。
(二) 海岸线变迁的关键阶段
综合地质沉积、贝壳堤分布及文献记载，盐城海岸线经历了复杂的海退-成陆-局部沙洲过程。
1. 新石器时代稳定岸线（约6000-4000年前）
此时期相对稳定的海岸线大致位于今范公堤（204国道）一线。该线由古沙堤和贝壳堤组成，是长时间波浪作用堆积形成的自然屏障。其西侧为已成陆的泻湖平原，东侧则为浅海或滨海湿地。羊寨等遗址即位于此线以西的陆地区域。
2. 秦汉时期的海中洲格局
至秦汉时期，海岸线形态发生显著变化。唐代李吉甫《元和郡县志》记载盐渎县位于海中洲，洲长百六十里。南宋王应麟《通鉴地理通释》亦载其时为海中之洲，洲上有盐亭。此洲实指位于新石器时代岸线（范公堤线）以东新淤涨出的沙洲群。它们尚未完全连陆，呈条带状分布于浅海中，成为早期海盐生产的理想场所（地势较高，便于设亭煮盐）。此时，范公堤线仍是重要的地理分界，其西为稳固陆地，其东则为新生的、尚不稳定的沙洲与浅海。
3. 唐代及以后的持续东扩
随着黄河夺淮（1128年后加剧）带来巨量泥沙，以及长江口北向泥沙流的补充，苏北海岸进入加速淤长时期。原秦汉沙洲逐渐淤实连陆，海岸线不断东移，为后世盐场的大规模拓展提供了广阔滩涂空间。盐城的主体部分至此完全稳固于陆。
(三) 成陆过程对盐业起源的意义
盐城由海成陆的过程，特别是秦汉时期海中洲的形成，具有重要的盐业地理意义。
1. 提供了盐业生产的独特空间
新淤涨的沙洲地势稍高，免受日常潮汐淹没之苦，又便于汲取海水，且拥有丰富的燃料（如盐蒿草），是设立盐亭、进行煮盐活动的天然场所。洲长百六十里的规模，暗示了其承载大规模盐业生产的潜力。
2. 奠定了行政建置的地理基础
沙洲群的发育与初步利用，使得在此区域设立专门管理盐务的行政单位（盐渎县）具备了必要的人口聚集和经济活动基础。没有这一相对稳固的（尽管初期是沙洲性质的）地理平台，因盐置县将无从谈起。
二、瓢城考辨：城郭形态演变与行政建制的深化
盐城，古称盐渎，东晋易名盐城。其独特别称瓢城，形象概括了城池规划的核心特征——西狭东阔，状如葫芦瓢。这种非规则形态在中国古代城市中实属罕见，其形成与演变深刻烙印着盐业发展与区域安全的双重印记。
(一) 瓢城形态溯源与象征意涵
瓢城形态的确立，始于东晋义熙七年（411年）盐渎更名盐城之际的重筑土城。其设计初衷，文献多释为取瓢于水，永不沉没的吉祥寓意，反映了滨海先民对水患的深刻敬畏与祈求安澜的心理诉求。从城市地理学视角审视，瓢形可能兼具实用考量：
1. 适应早期聚落格局
城池轮廓或顺应了依托串场河等水系形成的自然聚落走向，西窄（可能受限于早期稳固陆地边界）东阔（面向新生淤涨滩涂，预留发展空间）。
2. 防洪功能隐喻
瓢的凹面可能利于疏导或容纳洪水，契合低洼滨海地区的防灾需求。
(二) 行政建制的奠基与早期管理（汉-三国）
盐城的行政起源可溯至汉武帝元狩四年（前119年），因盐业之利设盐渎县。其初始建制具有鲜明的盐务管理导向，有县无治的特殊状态暨县治未独立设立，行政事务由邻近射阳县丞代管。此外，专设盐铁官，负责盐业生产、税收及专卖管理，凸显其作为国家盐业资源节点的初始定位。
东汉熹平三年（174年），盐渎迎来首位见诸史册的县丞——孙坚（后为东吴政权奠基者）。其任期虽短，且无显著政绩记载，却标志着盐渎从代管迈向独立县级行政实体的关键一步。后世附会的瓜井遗迹及其相关诗文（如明杨瑞云、清刘沁区诗），更多是地方历史记忆层累的产物，反映了对早期建制人物的追述。
三国时期，盐城地处魏吴拉锯前沿（江淮战区），战乱导致人口流徙、经济凋敝，早期土城遂渐圮废。
(三) 城池建设的兴废与升级（东晋-明）
盐城城池的物质形态经历了多次重建与升级，其动力源于行政地位提升、经济发展与安全威胁。
1. 东晋更名与土城重建（411年）
盐渎易名盐城，不仅是名称变更，更标志着从侧重水道（渎）向强调城防实体（城）的治理理念转变。此次重建奠定了瓢形土城的基本格局，虽后世屡经战火损毁（如南北朝、隋末动荡），但在唐代社会稳定期得以修复。
2. 南宋防御性加固（1131-1173年）
宋金对峙背景下，盐城作为前线州县，于绍兴、乾道年间三次加固土城，增强防御能力，反映了军事压力对城防的驱动。
3. 明代砖石城郭的确立（1418年）
随着海运兴起，倭寇、海盗侵扰加剧。明永乐十六年（1418年），盐城进行划时代改造，包括：
材质革新：土城改建为砖城，显著提升防御强度。
规模形制：城墙高一丈三尺，周七里余，基本维持瓢形。设东（朝阳门）、西（安泰门）、北（拱斗门）三门及城楼，环城掘护城河，架设吊桥（东、北）与固定木桥（西，登瀛桥）。
城市格局：城内形成以中市桥为中心的十字主街框架，衙署、宗教、文教、军事设施沿街巷分布，体现传统中国县级城市的典型空间组织。
4. 明万历南门增拓（1579年）
知县杨瑞云增辟南门（迎薰门），筑淮扬一览城楼，并营建配套景观（跃龙池、迎恩亭、青云桥等）。此举不仅完善交通与风水： 打破无南门格局，改善城市内外联通与风水意象；还彰显城市地位：淮扬一览题额及壮丽景观（杨楼翠霭为盐城八景之一），意在标榜盐城作为淮南巨观的区域重要性，是地方官塑造城市形象的自觉努力。
(四) 瓢城形态的延续与盐业城市的特质
纵观盐城古城演变，瓢形核心格局自东晋确立后，虽历经材质升级（土→砖）、细节完善（增南门），但其独特轮廓持久延续。这既反映了早期规划的生命力，也可能受制于滨海地基条件或已成型的街巷肌理。盐城作为因盐而兴的城市，其城郭建设始终交织着盐务管理需求（汉）、区域行政中心功能提升（晋、唐）、海防安全压力（明）以及地方文化象征构建（明杨楼）等多重动力。瓢城不仅是地理标识，更是盐城千年盐业文明与城市发展史的立体见证。
三、盐脉长流：盐业驱动下的政区演变轨迹
盐城的行政区划变迁，是其从滨海盐业聚落逐步发展为区域性行政中心的历史缩影。这一过程深受盐业经济、地理环境、王朝更迭及区域治理策略的综合影响。
(一) 先秦至秦汉：从淮夷地到盐务专县的奠基
1. 先秦属地的流动性
先秦时期（西周至战国），盐城地域属广义淮夷文化圈，其行政归属随中原王朝与地方势力消长而变动，先后被纳入周、吴、越、楚的势力范围或象征性管辖。这种流动性反映了早期边疆地带的政治生态。
2. 秦代整合与初步设治
秦统一后推行郡县制，盐城地域被纳入泗水郡（或邻近郡），属射阳县辖境。此举标志着该区域首次被整合进中央集权的郡县体系，但尚未因其盐业特质获得独立行政地位。
3. 盐业专县的诞生（西汉）
汉武帝元狩四年（前119年）是盐城行政史上的里程碑。基于盐业资源的战略价值及管理需求，朝廷析射阳县东部滨海盐区，设立盐渎县，属临淮郡（东汉改属广陵郡）。盐渎县名（盐+渎，运盐之河）直接揭示了其核心职能——管理海盐生产与运输。
(二) 魏晋南北朝至隋唐：从县名更易到州郡层级的探索
1. 独立行政地位的确立与更名（三国-东晋）
三国魏时短暂废县，西晋太康二年（281年）复置盐渎县。至东晋安帝义熙七年（411年），盐渎县正式更名为盐城县（属山阳郡）。由渎至城的转变，不仅标志着城池建设的强化（如前节所述瓢城初筑），更反映了该地从单一盐业据点向综合性县级行政中心的功能演进。
2. 州郡层级的短暂尝试（南朝陈-隋）
南朝陈时期（约6世纪中后期），盐城行政层级一度提升，改置为盐城郡，辖盐城县。这可能是基于其盐税贡献或区域战略地位的考量。隋朝统一后，推行精简州郡政策，大业初年废郡，复为盐城县，属江都郡。隋末乱世，地方势力韦彻据盐城置射州，短暂分设新安、安乐等县，唐初即被废除，复置盐城县，属楚州。
(三) 宋元明清：稳定隶属与空间析置
1. 稳定府州隶属
自唐中期至清代，盐城县的主体隶属关系相对稳定，主要处于楚州（宋淮安州/军）- 淮安路（元）- 淮安府（明、清）的行政框架下。五代十国南唐、北宋初及南宋绍兴年间曾短暂改属泰州，元属河南江北行省淮安路，但淮安府作为其直接上级政区的格局长期延续。
2. 空间析置与盐区管理
随着盐业生产规模扩大和人口增长，盐城地域经历了重要的空间析置：清雍正十年（1732年）：析盐城县北境置阜宁县。此举旨在优化对北部广大盐区及新兴垦区的行政管理。清乾隆三十三年（1768年）： 析盐城县东台场等地置东台县。东台县的设立，直接服务于淮南盐场核心区（如富安、安丰、梁垛等场）的专责管理，是盐业经济驱动行政区划调整的典型例证。这两次析置，深刻塑造了盐城地区的现代县域格局，其边界划分往往与盐场分布、河道水系及滩涂开发进程密切相关。
(四) 近现代转型：从传统县治到地级市建构
1. 民国建制
废府存县，盐城县直属江苏省，曾作为第六行政督察区驻地，辖盐城、东台、阜宁、兴化四县，区域中心地位初步显现。1946年短暂更名为叶挺市（纪念新四军将领叶挺），1949年复名。
2. 地级盐城市的确立（1983年）
实行市管县体制，撤销盐城地区，设立地级盐城市，辖原地区所属各县。这标志着盐城从传统农业/盐业县治，正式转型为统辖苏北沿海广阔地域的区域性中心城市。盐城之名得以在更高行政层级延续，彰显其独特历史渊源。
3. 当代区划优化（1987-2015年）
主要体现为城市化进程中的空间调整，暨东台（1987）、大丰（1996）撤县设（县级）市。
盐城市区的内部调整，包括：郊区改盐都县（1996），后撤县设盐都区（2003）；城区改亭湖区（2003）；设立盐渎街道等街道办，优化城区管理。
2015年开展的关键整合，包括：撤销县级大丰市，设立盐城市大丰区。此调整旨在强化大丰港（沿海重要港口）与盐城主城区的协同发展，推动沿海开发战略实施，是盐城从内陆盐城向沿海中心城市空间战略转型的重要步骤。
(五) 沿革主线：盐业烙印与区域整合
纵观盐城两千余年行政沿革，两条主线清晰可辨。
1. 盐业的持续性驱动
从盐渎设县、盐城得名，到东台析置、乃至盐城升格为地级市名，盐业资源及其经济文化价值，始终是塑造其行政地位和空间格局的核心基因。
2. 区域整合的层级提升
经历了从依附性盐务专县（盐渎）→ 独立县级政区（盐城县）→ 短暂州郡尝试 → 稳定府属县 → 区域性中心城市（地级市）的演进路径，反映了其在苏北沿海区域治理网络中地位与功能的不断提升。
盐城的历史沿革，是其盐韵在行政空间维度上的生动演绎。
Chapter 1 The Beginning of Boiling Seawater (for Salt): The Foundation of Ancient Salt Industry
Salt, the basic element for sustaining life, has surpassed its physiological attributes since the dawn of human civilization and profoundly embedded in the fabric of the socio - economic structure and state power.
Yancheng, located on the coast of the Yellow Sea, is closely intertwined with the production of sea salt. This land was inhabited by ancestors as early as the prehistoric times (about 6000 years ago). The geographical endowment of its coastal location such as the long coastline, vast mudflats and abundant sources of salt, provided the unique natural conditions for making sea salt from the sea. The record of boiling seawater to create benefits and digging canals for smooth access in Qin and Han Dynasties represented the rise of large-scale salt production in the Yancheng area and the initial prosperity of the region. The administrative establishment kept pace with industrial development.In the region of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (119 BC), Yandu County was established because of the Yandu River (a river for transporting salt). In the 7th year of Yixi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (411 AD), it was upgraded and officially named Yancheng County which was the proof the core status of the salt industry. By the Tang Dynasty, Yancheng had become one of the most important sea salt producing areas in the country and two salt supervision bureaus ( Hailing and Yancheng ) were set up in Yancheng, making it a core node in the national salt industry management system.
The scale and efficiency of salt production was remarkable.According to the record of Yuanhe Junxian Zhi (Comprehensive Gazetteer of Prefectures and Counties of Yuanhe Reign), Hailing county produced 600,000 dan（a traditional Chinese unit） of salt annually by boiling and Yancheng county produced 450,000 dan of salt annually by boiling, surpassing all others in the southeast. In the mid-Yuan Dynasty, the thirteen saltworks within Yancheng produced 76% of the total salt output in the Lianghuai, which itself dominated the salt production of the entire empire. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, salt tax thus became the lifeblood of the nation and during the Qianlong period, the salt tax of Lianghuai accounted for as much as a quarter of the national tax revenue and the reputation that the salt tax of Lianghuai is unparalled in the world is well-deserved. For public welfare, a city was bulit upon the coastal marshes; completely ringed by saltworks, it was thus aptly named Salt City. which was recorded in the Qianlong Edition of the Yancheng County Gazetteer not only explained the city name but also revealed that salt industry was the fundamental driving force of urban survival and development.
The glory of Yancheng's ancient salt industry was by no means accidental. It was based on: 1. Early salt workers' perceptions and explorations of coastal salt resources: How the ancient Huaiyi people discovered and initially exploited salt resources, laying the initial industrial foundation? What insights into the origins of early salt production were revealed by the legend of Susha clan making salt from seawater? 2. The salt-driven institutional building and regional development: From the establishment of Yandu County to the naming of Yancheng, how salt spurred the institutional building which in turn facilitated salt industry management and resource consolidation? How the spatial pattern of salt fields encircling the city shaped its embryonic urban form? 3. The continuous evolution of sea salt production technology: from the primitive method of making salt from the sea to the more efficient method of boiling brine, what transformations occurred in production implements and techniques? How the technological progress significantly improved the output and quality of salt?
The chapter of The beginning of boiling seawater (for salt): the foundation of ancient salt industry aims to conduct an in-depth exploration into the formation and development of the ancient salt industry system in Yancheng. We will focus on three interrelated dimensions to reveal that how the joint effects of natural environment,ancestors' wisdom and technological innovation built a massive salt industry foundation that supported regional prosperity and national finances, and laid a solid material and institutional basis for the salt rhyme culture that has endured for thousands of years in later generations on the fertile land of Yancheng.
1.1 The Ancient Huaiyi People and Early Salt Remains
1.1.1 The legend of Susha clan: the cultural memory and historical projection of the origin of the salt industry
Humankind's perception and utilization of natural resources was usually accompanied by eternal cultural memory. In the grand narrative of the origin of Chinese sea salt, the legend of Susha clan takes the central position, becoming an important cultural symbol for tracing the origin of the salt industry in later generations.
1.1.1.1 The core content and origin and evolution of text of the legend
Jijiu Pian, a Han Dynasty mengxue primer written by Shiyou, is the earliest systematic record of Susha clan. Salt is derived from brine. In antiquity, the legendary Susha clan first extracted it by boiling seawater. Later, sources emerged from the brine of Hedong and the fire wells of Linjiong. Now, it is ubiquitous. This record explicitly attributed the pioneering achievement of making salt from seawater to Susha clan and positioned it in ancient times which was earlier than the discovery of inland lake salt and well salt. This record laid the basic framework for Susha clan to be regarded as the originator of sea salt.
The details of the legend was further elaborated in later documents. A widely circulated version of the story describes that Susha clan accidentally left while cooking sea fish, and after the seawater evaporated, while salt residues were left behind, leading to the accidental discovery of salt. The discovery process shares the serendipitous aura common to many primordial innovations.
1.1.1.2 The identity and regional reputation of Susha clan
The identity of Susha clan is often associated with ancient tribal leaders or fang kingdoms in ancient texts. Documents such as The Annals of Lu Buwei Yongmin Chapter from the late Warring States Period and later works like Tongzhi provide key clues: the people of Susha clan attacked their own ruler and submitted to Shennong. Zheng Qiao of the Song Dynasty, in his work Tongzhi, further cites Yingxian Zhuan to identify Susha clan as a vassal state during the era of the Flame Emperor, and records that people defected and submitted to Shennong ( Flame Emperor) because their ruler was tyrannical. Although these records belongs to the category of legends, they strongly suggest that the Susha tribe was an important group active along the eastern coast ( now around the Shandong Peninsula) and had close ties with the Yan Emperor's tribal alliance.
It is worth noting that the Warring States period document Shiben mentions: Su Sha Quzi was skilled at boiling salt. He tried to boil the surging sand, but even after ten nights, he failed to obtain ( salt). Here, the specific name Su Sha Quzi who is shaped into the image of a skilled and proficient salt- boiling expert in Susha tribe appears. This not only reflects the evolution of legends from vague tribal ancestors to specific skilled technical figures in the process of circulation but also implies that the inheritance and specialization of salt- boiling techniques within the tribe may have reached a quite advanced level.
1.1.1.3 The historical truths and cultural significance reflected by the legend
Although it is difficult to confirm the historical authenticity of Susha clan, the legend has significant historical projection and cultural symbolic meaning.
1.1.1.3.1 Rationalized explanation of the origin of sea salt
The legend gives the credit to a specific inventor, according with the universal explanatory model for the origin of important skills in early human history.
1.1.1.3.2 Reflection of the salt- making practices of early coastal tribes
The legend locates Susha tribe on the Shandong coast and closely link Susha tribe to the benefits of fish and salt which is likely to reflect the historical fact that primitive tribes in the eastern coastal areas ( including today's coastal regions of Shandong and northern Jiangsu) had mastered and relied on the technique of boiling seawater to make salt from the late Neolithic Age to the Xia and Shang Dynasties.
1.1.1.3.3 Laying the foundation for the belief in the ancestor of salt
Susha clan is revered as the ancestor of salt by later generations, becoming the supreme primordial patron deity of the salt industry. People constructed and maintained the Salt Ancestral Temple, for example, the documents recorded that there was a Salt Ancestral Temple in Jiezhou of Hedong prior to the Northern Song Dynasty and Qiao Songnian further erected salt temples that the main deity was Susha and the secondary deities were Jia Ge ( a famous salt merchant) and Guan Zhong ( the founder of salt administration) in Yangzhou and Taizhou during the Qing Dynasty. This configuration of worship hierarchy clearly reflects that people respect the technical inventor ( Susha clan) more than the distributor ( Jiao Ge) and the manager ( Guan Zhong) which is the simple perception of primacy of production in the salt industry chain of traditional society.
1.1.1.4 The connection between the legend of Susha and early salt remains of Yancheng
For the Yancheng area, the legend of Susha clan spreads mainly in Shandong but the symbolic meaning is universal. The geographical environment ( tidal flats, brine sources) of the coastal area in northern Jiangsu where Yancheng is located is highly similar to that of the Shandong Peninsula. Both of them belong to areas where early sea salt production may have occurred. The core value of the legend lies in confirming an important historical fact: Eastern coastal areas of China has a long history to make salt from sea. The beginning of it dates back far earlier than the era with explicit written records and it can be traced back to the late Neolithic Age or even earlier. As an important town for sea salt production in later generations, the early salt industry activities in the Yancheng area were indeed an important part of this grand historical process. As the collective cultural memory of the origin of the salt industry, Susha legend provides a symbolic key for us to understand the prehistory or embryonic stage of sea salt production in Yancheng and even the entire coastal areas of China.
1.1.2 Huaiyi tribe: The early ethnic groups in the Yanfu region and historical evolution
The Yanfu area is a coastal region in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River. The founders and main bearers of its early civilization is the Huaiyi, a branch of the Yi tribal confederation active in the east during ancient times. Understanding the ethnic origin, social form of the Huaiyi, and their interactive relations with the Central Plains dynasties is a key to grasping the humanistic background of Yancheng area during the prehistoric, Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.
1.1.2.1 Ethnic origin tracing and geographical distribution
The ethnic origin legend of Huaiyi can be traced back to ancient mythological lineage and is usually associated with Taihao ( Fuxi Shi). Taihao is revered as the Emperor of the East and his achievements include teaching people fishing, hunting, and animal husbandry ( such as net - knotting techniques ) in the legend, reflecting the characteristics of the early subsistence patterns of the coastal ethnic groups in the east.
From the perspectives of ethnology and historical geography, the Yi people in the East were not a single ethnic group but a vast confederation consisting of numerous tribes that ancient texts refer to Jiuyi ( a general term for various ethnic groups in ancient China). According to the regional and cultural differences, they can be roughly divided into: the Dongyi ( Shangdong Peninsula), the Beiyi ( from Liaodong to the Korean Peninsula), the Shuyi ( middle and upper reaches of the Huaihe River), and the Huaiyi ( coastal areas in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River). Hu Wei, a geographer of the Qing Dynasty, clearly pointed out in his work Yu Gong Zhui Zhi ( A Critical Annotation on The Tribute of Yu ) that the activity range of Huaiyi covered the coastal areas of today' s Huai' an and Yangzhou prefectures. This clearly indicates that the Yancheng area was right in the core distribution zone of the Huaiyi.
1.1.2.2 Social forms and cultural features
Archaeological remains from the Neolithic Age to the Shang and Zhou dynasties unearthed in Yanfu area ( such as Luzhuang in Funing and Kaizhuang in Dongtai ) provide material evidence for revealing the social development of the Huaiyi ancestors. These remains indicate that:
1.1.2.2.1 Evolution of social structure
It has gone through the transition from the matriarchal society ( female - centered with exogamous group marriage system) to the patriarchal society ( male - dominated, transitioning to pairing marriage and monogamy ). This transformation is closely related to the rising status of men in economic activities.
1.1.2.2.2 Production technology and means of livelihood
They used finely polished stone tools ( such as stone knives, stone axes, and stone arrowheads ), mastered pottery - making techniques ( producing pottery with decorative patterns ), had primitive textile capabilities ( as evidenced by the unearthed spinning wheels), and the practice of rice agriculture had emerged. Coastal geographical environment decided that its subsistence pattern was fishing and hunting ( of river and sea fish, birds and beasts ) coexisted with early farming.
1.1.2.2.3 Material and spiritual life
Settled life ( evidenced by hut remains ), the custom of eating cooked food, and the use of ornaments ( stone rings,c jade pendants) reflected the improvement of material life and the germination of aesthetic awareness.
1.1.2.3 Conflicts and integrations with the Central Plains dynasties
Because of their relatively independent cultural system and strong power, Huaiyi and the Dongyi Group it belongs to were in a tense relationship with the Central Plains dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou, marked by repeated rebellions and submissions as well as constant conflicts. This interaction deeply influenced regional historical process.
The repressive policies of Xia Dynasty stirred up the resistance of the Yi people. ( According to Book of Later Han * Biography of the Dongyi, when Tai Kang lost his virtue and during Jie's reign, various Yi tribes invaded the interior.) Although Shang Dynasty originated from the East and had a kinship with the Yi people ( such as sharing the totem of the black bird ), in the middle and later periods, the power of the Yi people grew significantly, posing a serious threat. Emperors Yi and Xin ( King Zhou ) of the Shang Dynasty continued their eastern expeditions, which consumed enormous national strength. Although King Zhou achieved military victories, the main force was transferred eastward, leaving the western region vulnerable, and he was eventually defeated by King Wu of Zhou. The Shang Dynasty's wars against the Dongyi objectively accelerated the spread of Central Plains culture to the coastal areas.
The Rebellion of the Three Supervisors in the early Zhou Dynasty ( a rebellion jointly launched by Guan Shu, Cai Shu, Wu Geng and the Huaiyi ) highlighted the instability of the Huaiyi. The Duke of Zhou launched an eastern expedition to put down the rebellion and dealt a heavy blow to the Huaiyi ( as recorded in The Book of Documents, the Huaiyi were vanquished ). However, the resistance of Huaiyi didn't stop and wars were frequent during the reigns of King Mu, King Li and King Xuan. The tenacious resistance of Huaiyi, in essence, was a rebellion against the Zhou Dynasty's policies of ethnic oppression and exploitation of resources ( as recorded in the inscriptions in the Xijia Pan, which state that King Xuan of Zhou plundered the Huaiyi of their people, cattle, sheep, and fine metals). The establishment of the State of Lu ( where Bo Qin was enfeoffed in Qufu ) aimed at pacifying the east, however, the record that the Xu and Huayi rose together, and the eastern suburbs remained inaccessible( from Records of the Grand Historian: The House of Lu ) vividly reflects the persistent pressure from the Yi people.
With the decline of the Zhou royal court and the rivalry among the feudal lords, the Huaiyi forces, repeatedly hit, declined and became the target of contention and annexation by the powerful neighboring states ( Wu, Yue, and Chu ). When King Fucha of Wu dug the Han Canal to connect the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers and marched north to contend for hegemony, he seized the lands of the Huaiyi and took possession of them. After the Yue state conquered Wu, the Huaiyi lands passed to Yue upon Wu's fall; after the Chu state conquered Yue, they passed to Chu upon Yue's fall, and were eventually incorporated into the jurisdiction of Jiangdong Commandery of Chu.
The Qin Dynasty unified the six states and implemented the system of prefectures and counties as well as the policy of registering households and equalizing the people, making that the Huaxia community entered a new stage of consolidation. The Huayi tribes once thrived in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River and after a long period of interaction, conflict and integration with the Huaxia people, their unique ethnic identity gradually dissipated. Book of the Later Han: Biography of the Eastern Yi states: When Qin unified the six states, all the Yi people along the Huaihe and Sishui rivers were scattered and registered as common households. Huayi tribe finally integrated into the unified Qin and Han empires, becoming registered households in Sheyang County of Sishui Prefecture ( covering most of today's Yancheng area ). After the Qin Dynasty, the term Huaiyi as a designation for a specific ethnic group disappeared from official histories, marking the end of its existence as an independent political and cultural entity.
1.1.3 Salt industry origin: The civilizational leap from natural gifts to artificial production
Salt (NaCl), the essential electrolyte that sustains life activities, has far transcended its physiological attributes and become a key substance that shapes economic, political and cultural patterns in the course of human civilization. To explore the origins of China's salt industry, we need to start from the understanding of the essence, the early discovery and utilization, and the revolutionary leap in production methods of salt.
1.1.3.1 The origin and evolution of the character Yan (Salt) and early understanding of salts
The emergence and semantic evolution of the character Yan (salt) serve as an important window to understand the deepening of ancient people's cognition of salt. The definition of Yan in Shuowen Jiezi , a dictionary compiled by Xu Shen in the Han Dynasty, is particularly crucial: Salt is brine. What is naturally formed is called brine, and what is artificially produced is called salt. It is pictophonetic, with 卤 as the radical and 监 as the phonetic component.) This definition reveals two core connotations:
1. The material identity between brine and salt: Both refer to sodium chloride crystals.
2. The essential distinction in acquisition methods: brine refers to naturally occurring salt that can be obtained directly (such as precipitates from salt lakes and rock salt), while salt specifically denotes products made through artificial processing (such as boiling and decocting).
Written records lag behind language and practice. In the inscriptions on Western Zhou bronze ware (Jinwen), the character lu (brine) appears frequently (such as inscriptions recording the granting of brine as a reward), while the character yan (salt) emerged relatively later (around the Eastern Zhou period). This phenomenon implies that in the core area of the Zhou royal court (the middle reaches of the Weihe River and the Yellow River), people mainly relied on natural salt brine (such as that produced in the Hedong Salt Lake) in the early stage, and artificially produced salt was not yet popularized or did not attract sufficient attention in the writing system.
1.1.3.2 The discovery and early utilization of natural salt
The initial perception and utilization of salt originate from life instinct which is similar to the behavior of animals seeking salt. The early discovery of natural salt was often accompanied by legends and form some major types:
1. Lake salt
Taking Xiechi Lake (Yuncheng Salt Lake) in Shanxi as a representation, its formation relies on specific climatic conditions (such as the south wind accelerating evaporation) and geological factors, featuring the characteristic of being naturally formed without the need for boiling or splashing. The salt resources of Xiechi Lake were utilized in prehistoric times, and their strategic value was already evident in the legendary era (for example, some scholars speculate that the Battle of Banquan between Huangdi and Yandi might be related to the struggle for salt resources).
2. Rock salt (mineral salt)
Rock salt is distributed in the inland mountains of northwest and southwest China (such as the inhabited areas of ancient Qiang, Hu, and Rong ethnic groups), and thus has the names of Rong salt and Hu salt. Its color varies due to associated minerals (red, purple, blue, black, white). Besides being used for food, early medical classics such as Shennong's Herbal Classic emphasized their medicinal value (e.g. mainly beneficial for improving eyesight, replenishing qi, and strengthening muscles and bones), reflecting the expansion of ancient people's understanding of the functions of salt.
3.Coastal saline soil salt
The early ancestors along the eastern coast might have obtained crude salt by scraping and leaching salt-rich coastal soil (saline soil) in the early days. This was the embryonic form of using marine resources to produce salt, laying the foundation for boiling seawater to make salt in later generations.
The origin of salt is usually endowed with mythic colour. In addition to the aforementioned legend of Suosha Shi boiling seawater (to make salt), there is a legend circulating in southwest China (e.g. Yanyuan County, Sichuan Province) about a young girl who discovered a salt spring while herding sheep. The story of Linjun and the Salt Water Goddess, recorded in the Book of the Later Han---an epic of the Ba people---metaphorically depicts the tribes' struggle for and control over salt source areas (the Yishui River basin). Although these myths aren't reliable history, they reflect the core value of salt resources in early societies and the mythologized narrative pattern of their discovery process.
1.1.3.3 The revolution of artificial salt: an epoch-making leap from brine to salt
Xu Shen's distinction that what is naturally formed is called brine, and what is artificially produced is called salt highlights a pivotal revolution in the history of salt production: the advent of artificial salt-making technology. Natural salt is constrained by its production locations, output, and quality, while artificial salt (especially sea salt and well salt) enables the proactive development of salt resources and the improvement of salt quality.
1. The priority and advantages of sea salt
Among the artificial salt, the scale production of sea salt is usually earlier than well salt because of its characteristics of obvious resources (vast seawater), relatively simple extraction (early boiling and evaporation), and nearly unlimited potential. The legend of Susha clan boiling seawater (to make salt) is precisely the cultural memory of his historical process. The early salt traces along the northern Jiangsu coast where Yancheng is located are precisely an important part of the grand narrative of the origin of Chinese sea salt.
2.The challenge of well salt
The well salt relies on searching for and excavate underground brine layers. It has a higher technical threshold (e.g. requiring drilling technology) and a more limited resource distribution, with its mature development being relatively later than that of sea salt.
Salt is revered as the ancestor of all flavors, the leader of food dishes, and the great treasure of the state, and its importance run through ancient Chinese society. Looking at the history of China's salt industry technology, it can be roughly divided into several landmark stages:
1.Germination and early utilization (pre-qin to Shang and Zhou Dynasties)
The utilization of natural salt (lake salt, rock salt, saline soil salt) was dominant with the initial exploration of sea salt boiling technology.
2.The popularization of sea salt technology and the initial establishment of relevant systems (Spring and Autumn Period to the Qin and Han Dynasties)
The promotion of sea salt boiling and evaporation technology (e.g. in the Qi State) made it a financial resource of the state; the salt monopoly system originated (from Guan Zhong's guan shan hai policy), and salt administration became a national policy.
3. Technological diversification and scale expansion (from the Wei-Jin period to the Song-Yuan period)
The ken qi jiao shai method of lake salt became mature, the mining technology for well salt advanced, and the production scale of sea salt continued to expand, and cao jian (boiling with fuels like reeds) became one of the mainstream methods.
4. Technological innovation and industrial prosperity (Ming and Qing Dynasties)
The dun zuan technology for well salt enabled deep-well mining; the sun-drying method for sea salt gradually emerged and spread, coexisting with the boiling method, which significantly reduced costs and improved efficiency. The Lianghuai Salt Region (including Yancheng) reached its prime during this period.
This chronological framework highlights the evolution of two main threads: sea salt technology (from boiling to sun-drying) and the salt industry system, providing a macro historical context for understanding the rise of Yancheng as a major sea salt hub.
1.2 County Establishment Driven by Salt: The “Salt Power” in Administrative System Formation
1.2.1 Deposited civilization: the process of land formation in Yancheng and historical geographic evidence
The formation of the Yanfu Plain is the product of long-term geological evolution and fluvial sedimentation on the western coast of the Yellow Sea. Clarifying the sequence of its land formation and the changes of the coastline is crucial to understanding the spatial basis of human activities (especially salt industry) in the Yancheng area.
1.2.1.1 The limitations of early cognition and the breakthroughs of modern research
Local gazetteers of the Ming and Qing dynasties (such as Wanli Edition of the Yancheng County Gazetteer and Qianlong Edition of the Yancheng County Gazetteer) had a relatively vague understanding of Yancheng's land formation. They only recorded that Yancheng towered and stood across the sea or was located in the vast saline-alkali land by the coast, which reflects the limitations of ancient scholars' understanding of the history of coastline changes. Modern research in geology, archaeology, and historical geography has provided solid evidence for revealing the history of Yancheng's land formation.
1.2.1.1.1 The confirmation of the existence of ancient land
Late Pleistocene mammalian fossils (such as wild boars and deer) were discovered in the deep sandy soil layers in places like Xituan in Dafeng. These fossils were identified to be approximately 20,000 to 30,000 years old, confirming that the area had broken away from the shallow sea environment at that time and formed a terrestrial landscape suitable for large terrestrial animals to inhabit.
1.2.1.1.2 The evidence of human activities in the Neolithic Age
What is even more important is that the late Neolithic remains (stone tools and bone tools) discovered in places such as Yangzhai in Funing date back to approximately 4000 years ago. These remains not only prove that the area had become land by then, but also indicates that there were primitive people relying on fishing, hunting, and gathering who lived and multiplied here. Their subsistence pattern was highly consistent with the coastal environment.
1.2.1.2 The crucial stage of coastline changes
Synthesizing geological deposits, the distribution of shell ridges, and documentary records, the coastline of Yancheng has undergone a complex process of sea regression - land formation - local sandbars.
1.2.1.2.1 The stable coastline of the Neolithic Age (approximately 6,000 - 4,000 years ago)
During this period, the relatively stable coastline was roughly along the line of the present-day Fangong Seawall (National Highway 204). Composed of ancient sand dykes and shell ridges, this line is a natural barrier formed by long-term wave accumulation. To its west lies the already formed lagoon plain, while to its east is the shallow sea or coastal wetland. Sites such as Yangzhai are located in the terrestrial area west of this line.
1.2.1.2.2. The island in the sea pattern during the Qin and Han Dynasties
By the Qin and Han dynasties, the shape of the coastline had undergone significant changes. According to the Comprehensive Gazetteer of Prefectures and Counties of Yuanhe Reign by Li Jifu of the Tang Dynasty, Yandu County was located on an island in the sea, which stretched 160 li in length. Wang Yinglin of the Southern Song Dynasty also recorded in his Tongjian Dil Li Tongshi that the area was an island in the sea at that time, with salt pavilions on the island. In fact, this island refers to the group of newly silted sandbars formed east of the Neolithic coastline (the line of Fanggong Seawall). These sandbars had not yet been fully connected to the mainland and were distributed in a strip shape in the shallow sea, making them ideal sites for early sea salt production (their relatively high terrain facilitated the construction of pavilions for boiling salt). At this time, the line of Fangong Seawall remained an important geographical boundary: to its west was stable land, while to its east were newly formed and still unstable sandbars and shallow seas.
1.2.1.2.3 The continuous eastward expansion from the Tang Dynasty onwards
With the massive sediment brought by the Yellow River's capture of the Huaihe River (intensified after 1128) and the supplement of sediment flow from the northward direction of the Yangtze River Estuary, the northern Jiangsu coast entered a period of accelerated silting and progradation. The original sandbars dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties were gradually silted up and connected to the mainland, and the coastline kept moving eastward, providing vast tidal flat space for the large-scale expansion of salt fields in later generations. By this time, the main part of Yancheng had become completely stable on land.
1.2.1.3 The significance of the land formation process for the origin of the salt industry
The process of land formation from sea of Yancheng, especially the formation of island in the sea in Qin and Han Dynasties, has a significant geographical significance of the salt industry.
1.2.1.3.1 Provide unique space for salt production industry
The newly silted sandbars, with a slightly higher terrain, are free from daily tidal inundation. They also facilitate seawater extraction and have abundant fuel sources (such as salt wormwood), making them natural sites for building salt pavilions and conducting salt-boiling activities. Its scale of a hundred and sixty li in length indicates its potential to support large-scale salt production.
1.2.1.3.2 Lay the geographical foundation for the establishment of administrative divisions
The development and initial utilization of sandbar groups provided the necessary foundation of population agglomeration and economic activities for the establishment of a specialized administrative unit (Yandu County) in charge of salt affairs in this region. Without this relatively stable geographical platform (though initially of a sandbar nature), the establishment of a county due to salt production would have been impossible.
1.2.2 A textual research on Gourd City: the evolution of city wall form and the deepening of administrative system
Yancheng, formerly known as Yandu in ancient times, was renamed Yancheng in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Its unique alternative name Gourd City vividly summarizes the core feature of the city's layout—narrow in the west and broad in the east, shaped like a gourd ladle. This irregular form is quite rare among ancient Chinese cities, and its formation and evolution are deeply marked by the dual imprints of salt industry development and regional security.
1.2.2.1 The origin and symbolic meaning of the Gourd City form
The establishment of the Gourd City form began with the reconstruction of the earthen city in the 7th year of Yixi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (411 AD), when Yandu was renamed Yancheng. Most historical documents interpret its original design intention as the auspicious meaning of taking a gourd ladle from water to never sink, which reflects the coastal ancestors' deep awe of floods and their psychological aspiration for tranquility. From the perspective of urban geography, the gourd ladle shape may also have practical considerations:
1.2.2.1.1 Adapt to the early settlement pattern
The outline of the city either conformed to the natural settlement layout formed along water systems such as the Chuanchang River. It was narrow in the west (possibly restricted by the early stable land boundary) and broad in the east (facing newly formed alluvial tidal flats, with reserved space for development).
1.2.2.1.2 The metaphor of flood control function
The concave surface of the piao might facilitate the diversion or containment of floodwaters, which aligned with the disaster prevention needs of low-lying coastal areas.
1.2.2.2 The establishment of administrative divisions and early management (Han - Three Kingdoms period)
The administrative origin of Yancheng can trace back to the 4th year of Yuanshou Reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (119 BEC), establishing the Yandu County due to the benefits of the salt industry. Its initial establishment was distinctly oriented towards salt administration, featuring a special status of having a county designation but no independent county government--- meaning no separate county government was set up, and administrative affairs were managed by the assistant magistrate of the neighboring Sheyang County. In addition, special officials for salt and iron were appointed to oversee salt production, taxation, and the management of state-run salt sales, highlighting its initial positioning as a national node for salt resources.
In the 3rd Year of Xiping Reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty (174 AD), Yandu welcomed its first county magistrate (whose name was recorded in historical records) --- Sun Jian, who later became the founder of the Eastern Wu regime.His term of office was relatively short and he had no significant achievements to record, it yet marked a crucial step for Yandu to move from a managed - by - others status to an independent county - level administrative entity. The later-attributed Gua Well relics and related poems (such as those by Yang Ruiyun of the Ming Dynasty and Liu Qinqu of the Qing Dynasty) are more products of the accumulation of local historical memories, reflecting the remembrance of figures associated with the early establishment of the administrative system.
During the Three Kingdoms Period, Yancheng was located at the forefront of the seesaw struggle between the Wei and Wu states (in the Jianghuai Theater of War). The wars led to population migration and economic decline, and the early earthen city gradually fell into ruin.
1.2.2.3 The rise, fall and upgrading of city construction (Eastern Jin Dynasty - Ming Dynasty)
The physical form of the Yancheng's city wall underwent numerous reconstructions and upgrades. Its driving forces stemmed from the elevation of administrative status, economic development, and security threats.
1.2.2.3.1 The renaming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the reconstruction of the soil city (in 411 AD)
The renaming of Yandu to Yancheng was not merely a change of name, but more importantly marked a shift in governance philosophy—from emphasizing waterways (Du) to highlighting the fortified city entity (Cheng). This reconstruction laid the fundamental layout of the ladle-shaped earthen city; although it suffered repeated damage from wars in later periods (such as the turbulence during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the end of the Sui Dynasty), it was restored during the period of social stability in the Tang Dynasty.
1.2.2.3.2 The defensive reinforcement in the Southern Song Dynasty (1131 - 1173)
Against the backdrop of the confrontation between the Song and Jin dynasties, Yancheng, as a frontier prefecture and county, reinforced its earthen city three times during the Shaoxing and Qiandao reign periods to enhance its defensive capabilities, which reflected the impetus of military pressure on city defense.
1.2.2.3.3 The establishment of Yancheng's brick-and-stone city wall in the Ming Dynasty (1418 AD)
With the rise of maritime transportation, the intensified harassment by Japanese pirates and coastal bandits. In the 16th Year of Yongle Reign of the Ming Dynasty (1418 AD), Yancheng underwent an epoch-making transformation, including:
Material innovation: The city walls were transformed into brick walls, significantly enhancing the defense strength.
Scale and form: The city wall was thirteen feet high and over seven li in circumference, basically maintaining its ladle shape. It had three gates with gate towers—East Gate (Chaoyang Gate), West Gate (Antai Gate), and North Gate (Gongdou Gate). A moat was dug around the city, with drawbridges (at the East and North Gates) and a fixed wooden bridge (Dengying Bridge, at the West Gate) built over it.
City pattern: A cross-shaped main street framework centered on Zhongshi Bridge took shape inside the city, with government offices, religious sites, cultural and educational institutions, and military facilities distributed along the streets and lanes. This reflected the typical spatial organization of a county-level city in traditional China.
1.2.2.3.4 The expansion of the South Gate of Yancheng in the Wanli Reign of the Ming Dynasty (1579 AD)
Magistrate Yang Ruiyun added the South Gate (Yingxun Gate), built the Huaiyang Yilan (A Panorama of Huaiyang) gate tower, and constructed supporting landscapes (such as Yuelong Pond, Yingen Pavilion, and Qingyun Bridge). This move not only improved transportation and feng shui: it broke the pattern of no South Gate, enhancing the connection between the inside and outside of the city as well as the feng shui imagery. It also highlighted the city's status: the inscription of Huai yang yi lan (A Panorama of Huaiyang) and the magnificent landscapes (among which Yanglou Cui'ai --- Green Mist around Yang's Tower --- was one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Yancheng) were intended to demonstrate Yancheng's regional importance as a grand landmark in Huainan, reflecting the local magistrate's conscious effort to shape the city's image.
1.2.2.4 The continuity of the Gourd City form and the characteristics of a salt-producing city
Looking at the evolution of Yancheng's ancient city, after its core ladle-shaped layout was established in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it underwent upgrades in material (from earth to bricks) and improvements in details (adding the South Gate), yet its unique outline persisted for a long time. This not only reflects the vitality of the early urban planning, but may also be constrained by the coastal foundation conditions or the established street texture. As a city that prospered because of salt, Yancheng's city wall construction has always been intertwined with multiple driving forces: the demand for salt administration (Han Dynasty), the functional upgrading of regional administrative centers (Jin and Tang dynasties), the pressure of coastal defense security (Ming Dynasty), and the construction of local cultural symbols (such as the Yang Tower in the Ming Dynasty). The Ladle-Shaped City is not only a geographical marker, but also a three-dimensional testimony to Yancheng's millennium-long salt civilization and urban development history.
1.2.3 The enduring flow of salt: the evolution track of administrative divisions driven by the salt industry
The changes in Yancheng's administrative divisions are a historical epitome of its gradual development from a coastal salt-producing settlement to a regional administrative center. This process was profoundly influenced by the combined effects of the salt economy, geographical environment, dynastic changes, and regional governance strategies.
1.2.3.1 From the Pre-Qin to the Qin and Han Dynasties: from the Huaiyi Region to the foundation of a specialized county for salt affairs
1.2.3.1.1 The mobility of territorial jurisdictions in the Pre - Qin period
During the Pre-Qin period (from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Warring States Period), the Yancheng region belonged to the generalized Huaiyi cultural circle. Its administrative affiliation changed with the rise and fall of the Central Plains dynasties and local forces, and it was successively brought into the sphere of influence or symbolic jurisdiction of the Zhou, Wu, Yue, and Chu states. This mobility reflected the political ecology of early borderland regions.
1.2.3.1.2 The integration and initial administrative establishment in the Qin Dynasty
After the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty, the system of prefectures and counties was implemented. The Yancheng region was incorporated into Sishui Prefecture (or a neighboring Prefecture) and fell under the jurisdiction of Sheyang County. This move marked the first time the region was integrated into the centralized prefecture-county system, yet it had not yet obtained an independent administrative status due to its salt industry characteristics.
1.2.3.1.3 The emergence of specialized counties for salt affairs (Western Han Dynasty)
The fourth year of Yuanshou in the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (119 BCE) was a milestone in the administrative history of Yancheng. Based on the strategic value of salt resources and the need for management, the imperial court separated the coastal salt-producing area in the eastern part of Sheyang County, established Yandu County, and placed it under the jurisdiction of Linhuai Prefecture (which was changed to Guangling Prefecture in the Eastern Han Dynasty). The name of Yandu County (yan + du, the river for transporting salt) directly reveals its core function --- managing the production and transportation of sea salt.
1.2.3.2 From the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to Sui and Tang Dynasties: from the change of county names to the exploration of state and county levels
1.2.3.2.1 The establishment and renaming of independent administrative status (The Three Kingdoms Period to the Eastern Jin Dynasty)
During the Wei State of the Three Kingdoms Period, the county was temporarily abolished. In the second year of Taikang in the Western Jin Dynasty (281 AD), Yandu County was reestablished. By the seventh year of Yixi in the reign of Emperor An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (411 AD), Yandu County was officially renamed Yancheng County (under the jurisdiction of Shanyang Prefecture). The transition from du to cheng not only marks the reinforcement of city infrastructure construction (the initial construction of Gourd City, as mentioned in the previous section), but also reflects the functional evolution of this region from a single salt industry stronghold to a comprehensive county - level administrative center.
1.2.3.2.2 The temporary attempts at the state and prefecture levels (The Chen State of the Southern Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty)
During the Chen State of the Southern Dynasties (around the mid-to-late 6th century), the administrative level of Yancheng was elevated once, and it was reorganized into Yancheng Prefecture, governing Yancheng County. This was likely due to considerations of its contribution to salt tax or its regional strategic status. After the unification of the Sui Dynasty, a policy of streamlining states and prefectures was implemented. In the early years of the Daye era, the prefecture was abolished, and (the area) was restored to Yancheng County, which was subordinate to Jiangdu Prefecture. During the chaotic late years of the Sui Dynasty, Wei Che, a local warlord, occupied Yancheng and established Shezhou state, with the temporary establishment of counties such as Xinan and Anle. These (administrative divisions) were abolished in the early Tang Dynasty, and Yancheng County was reestablished, which was subordinate to Chu State.
1.2.3.3 Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties: stable subordination and spatial division and establishment
1.2.3.3.1 The prefecture is subordinate to the province
From the mid-Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the main subordination of Yancheng County remained relatively stable, falling primarily under the administrative framework of Chuzhou (Huai'an State/Jun in the Song Dynasty) - Huai'an Lu (Yuan Dynasty) - Huai'an Province (Ming and Qing Dynasties). During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (under the Southern Tang), the early Northern Song Dynasty, and the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, it was briefly placed under the jurisdiction of Taizhou. In the Yuan Dynasty, it belonged to Huai'an Lu under the Henan Jiangbei Province. However, the pattern of Huai'an Province serving as its direct superior administrative division persisted for a long time.
1.2.3.3.2. Spatial Disposition and salt - area administration
With the expansion of salt production scale and population growth, the Yancheng region underwent an important spatial disposition: in the 10th year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1732), the northern part of Yancheng County was separated to establish Funing County. This measure aimed to optimize the administrative management of the vast northern salt areas and newly developed reclamation areas. In the 33rd year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1768), places such as Dongtaichang in Yancheng County were separated to establish Dongtai County. The establishment of Dongtai County directly served the dedicated management of the core areas of Huainan Salt Fields (e.g., Fu'an, Anfeng, Liangduo Salt Fields) and is a typical example of administrative division adjustment driven by the salt economy. These two spatial dispositions have profoundly shaped the modern county-level pattern of the Yancheng region, with their boundary divisions often closely related to the distribution of salt fields, river systems, and the progress of tidal flat development.
1.2.3.4 Modern transformation: from the traditional county governance to the establishment of a prefecture - level city
1.2.3.4.1 Administrative system of the republic of China
The prefecture system was abolished while the county system was retained; Yancheng County was directly subordinate to Jiangsu Province and once served as the seat of the 6th Administrative Inspectorate, governing four counties: Yancheng, Dongtai, Funing, and Xinghua. Its status as a regional center initially emerged. In 1946, it was briefly renamed Yeting City (in memory of Ye Ting, a general of the New Fourth Army) and restored to its original name in 1949.
1.2.3.4.2 The establishment of Yancheng as a prefecture- level city (1983)
The city-governing-county system was implemented: the Yancheng Prefecture was abolished, and Yancheng was established as a prefecture-level city, governing all counties originally under the prefecture. This marked Yancheng's official transformation from a traditional county centered on agriculture/salt production to a regional central city governing the vast coastal area of Northern Jiangsu. The name Yancheng was retained at this higher administrative level, highlighting its unique historical origins.
1.2.3.4.3 Contemporary Administrative Division Optimization (1987-2015)
It is mainly reflected in spatial adjustments during the urbanization process, namely the abolition of Dongtai County (1987) and Dafeng County (1996) and their establishment as county-level cities.
The internal adjustments of Yancheng's urban area include: the suburban area was renamed Yandu County (1996), which was later abolished and established as Yandu District (2003); the urban area was renamed Tinghu District (2003); and sub-district offices such as Yandu Sub-district were established to optimize urban management.
A key integration carried out in 2015 included the abolition of the county-level Dafeng City and the establishment of Dafeng District of Yancheng City. This adjustment aimed to strengthen the coordinated development between Dafeng Port (an important coastal port) and Yancheng's main urban area, promote the implementation of the coastal development strategy, and is a crucial step in Yancheng's spatial strategic transformation from an inland Yancheng to a coastal central city.
1.2.3.5 Main thread of evolution: the mark of salt industry and regional integration
Throughout Yancheng's over 2,000 - year administrative evolution, two main threads are clearly distinguishable.
1.2.3.5.1 The sustainability drive of the salt industry
From the establishment of Yandu County and the adoption of the name Yancheng, to the separation of Dongtai County and even the upgrade of Yancheng to the name of a prefecture-level city, salt resources and their economic and cultural values have always been the core factor shaping its administrative status and spatial pattern.
1.2.3.5.2 The upgrade of regional integration at the hierarchical level
It has gone through an evolutionary path from a dependent salt-affairs-specific county (Yandu) → an independent county-level administrative division (Yancheng County) → a short-lived attempt at prefecture/county-level governance → a stable county under a prefecture → a regional central city (prefecture-level city). This path reflects the continuous improvement of its status and functions in the regional governance network of the Northern Jiangsu coastal area.
The historical evolution of Yancheng is a vivid manifestation of its salt rhyme in the dimension of administrative space.
