Self-driving Tour to Hainan's Yinggehai Salt Field

Yinggehai Salt Field is one of the three major salt fields in China and the largest sea salt field in southern China. Here is a detailed introduction about it: 1. Geographic Location: Located in Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province, at the southwestern end of Hainan Island, with a longitude of 108°44' E and a latitude of 18°30' N, covering an area of 38 square kilometers. 2. Formation Conditions • Climate: Yinggehai Town is located on the leeward slope of the southeast monsoon of Jianfengling, with little rainfall, many sunny days, and sufficient sunlight, which is conducive to salt drying. • Topography: The terrain is flat and open, providing a large area for salt drying. • Seawater: The seawater has a high salinity, maintaining 3.5 degrees Baumé throughout the year, providing excellent conditions for salt production. 3. Development History: • The area of Yinggehai Salt Field was originally a beach, which later evolved into a mudflat due to geological changes. Its origin can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. During the Japanese occupation of Hainan Island, large-scale exploration of Yinggehai Salt Field was conducted. • In 1954, representatives from Huangliu District of Yaxian County proposed the construction of Yinggehai Salt Field. In 1955, the decision was made to build Yinggehai Salt Field, and in September of the same year, the preparatory office for Yinggehai Salt Field was established in Guangzhou. • In 1958, Yinggehai Salt Field was completed and put into operation. At the end of November of the following year, the first batch of raw salt was shipped out. • In February 1962, the construction of Yinggehai Salt Field was ordered to be suspended, marking the end of the large-scale construction phase. • Since 1978, part of the salt transportation at Yinggehai Salt Field has been done using salt trucks, while the rest is carried manually. • In April 1988, Yinggehai Salt Field was handed over to the Hainan Provincial Salt Administration. By 1991, a total of over 4.68 million tons of raw salt had been produced. • On April 20, 2003, a salt harvester was assembled and successfully tested, named "Yingyan No. 1". • In February 2008, it was managed by Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd. • In July 2016, the high-end sea salt production base of Yinggehai was officially established. 4. Production Process: • In traditional salt production, there is a tidal channel about 300 meters long and 50 meters wide, allowing seawater to naturally flow into the reservoir with the tides. The seawater enters the reservoir evaporation pond for primary evaporation, then stays in the primary evaporation pond for 6 days, the intermediate evaporation pond for 9 days, and the advanced evaporation pond for 14 days. At this point, the seawater is gradually concentrated from the initial 3.5 degrees Baumé to 25 degrees Baumé saturated brine, which can be irrigated into the crystallization pond for salt workers to dry salt. After drying in the crystallization pond for 3-5 days, the salt workers can collect the salt. • The intangible cultural heritage inheritor of "Yinggehai Old Salt Drying Technique", Lai Qinghai, has unique requirements for making old salt. The old salt is dried from March to May each year, when the temperature is not high, preventing the sea salt crystals from forming too quickly and creating composite crystals. The key to ensuring the old salt's perfect hexagonal shape and resistance to breakage is to control the initial production time. The drying cycle for ordinary sea salt is 29 days, while the drying cycle for Yinggehai old salt must exceed 100 days. The premium salt produced must be sun-dried, weathered, and precipitated for 5 years, then transferred to a high-temperature warehouse for over 10 years of long-term storage. During production, experienced craftsmen choose salt ponds with sufficient depth to ensure the slow growth of salt crystals. They accurately control the freshness and saturation of the brine during the production stage, with a brine concentration of 25 to 27 degrees Baumé being the ideal "growth" environment for old salt. This requires frequent monitoring of the brine concentration and timely adjustments to the optimal time and frequency for daily brine stirring (loosening the salt). This "new, deep, and long" crystallization process ensures that the sodium chloride content of the old salt exceeds 95%. When collecting old salt, the second batch operation collects qualified old salt granules, usually collecting about seven-tenths of the old salt and leaving about three-tenths as ordinary sea salt. 5. Honors Received: In 1984, the high-quality sun-dried salt produced by Yinggehai Salt Field was rated as a high-quality product by the Ministry of Light Industry and the provincial level; in 1985, it was awarded the title of Excellent Product by the Guangdong Salt Industry Company; in 1986, it won first place in the industry evaluation by the Ministry of Light Industry; in 1988, it received the national secondary metrology standard certificate. 6. Tourism Features: • Salt Field Scenery: The vast salt fields are as white as snow, sparkling under the sunlight like a "mirror of the sky", making it very suitable for photography. • Production Process Tour: Visitors can walk along the small paths of the salt fields, observe the production process of the salt fields, learn about the sea salt making process, and experience the unique charm of industrial culture. • Sunrise and Sunset Views: The scenery during sunrise and sunset is particularly enchanting and should not be missed. 7. Surrounding Facilities: • Nearby the salt field are the Yinggehai Salt Field Chemical Plant, Salt Field Cultural Center, Mirror of the Sky, and Wuqifan Farm. • There is also the Yinggehai Salt Field Salt Culture Museum, located on the road under construction north of Xinxian Hotel in Yinggehai Town, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province. The museum provides detailed introductions to the processes of seawater intake, brine making, crystallization, salt harvesting, piling, and drying, offering visitors an interesting salt culture tour. 8. Travel Tips: • The best time to visit is from March to October each year, when the weather is sunny and the sunlight is sufficient, allowing you to enjoy the most beautiful salt field scenery. • Pay attention to sun protection during the visit, as the sunlight reflected by the salt fields is very strong. • Respect local production activities and do not step on the salt fields or damage the facilities. • Wear comfortable shoes, as the roads in the salt fields may be uneven.