Yangpu Ancient Salt Field

The Yangpu Ancient Salt Field (simplified Chinese: 洋浦千年古盐田; traditional Chinese: 洋浦千年古鹽田; pinyin: Yángpǔ qiānnián gǔ yántián) is an archeological heritage site in Yantian village, on the Yangpu Peninsula in Hainan, China. The site is an example of salt's various roles in Chinese history. The area comprises more than 1,000 stones, cut flat on top, which are used to evaporate seawater to produce salt.[1] The stones have a thin rim around the edge to contain the water. During high tide, the surface of the stones becomes filled with seawater. During low tide, this evaporates, leaving the salt, which is then collected.

Stones are cut flat on top with a thin rim. Seawater remains from high tide. It then evaporates leaving the salt, which is collected.

The area was established around 800 AD[2][3] when a group of salt workers from Putian city in Fujian province moved to Yangpu.[1] Today, only a small group of villagers continue to make salt using this method and it is not their main source of income.[2]