"Choose C for Travel" - Sichuan C Zigong: Shenhai Well

The name Zigong has a deep connection with the salt well, and its city is named from the two salt wells "self-flowing well" and "gongjing", so Zigong has a very deep relationship with salt production. "Dive through the cave, and talk about the flood." The majestic phrases in "Salt Well Fu" by Li Zhi, a Jinshi of Qing Fushun, show the grand scene of drilling deep wells and drawing salt in the ancient salt field of Zigong. The Shenhai Well, one of the representatives of ancient architectural sites for salt mining in Zigong Well, is also the only ancient salt well still in use. The main buildings of Shenhai Well are the hammer room, the large garage and the stove room. The main production equipment, the rig, the well rack, and the large cart, are well preserved and underwent a major restoration in 1984. The existing Shenhai well covers an area of ​​about 1,500 square meters, retaining the layout and style of the early nineteenth century, and is a typical Qing Dynasty well salt production site. The Shenhai well is fixed with stone circles and wooden pillars, with a well mouth of 18 cm and a well diameter of about 16 cm. 125 meters below the wooden pole to the bottom of the well, the diameter of the well is only 10.6 cm, the well mouth is small but the depth of the well is up to 1000 meters. It is said that the construction of the Shenhai Well was started during the Daoguang period in 1823. After 13 years, the construction was completed in 1835. It was the world's first large well over a kilometer. After the well was drilled, more than 10,000 loads of black halogen were ejected every day, producing more than 8,500 cubic meters of natural gas and more than 80 salt pots per day. The most unforgettable experience at Shenhaijing Scenic Area is watching the traditional salt-making craft show. When we see the ancient hammers, wells, carts and other production equipment slowly operating under the operation of workers, at that moment, it is like time has gone back, and we have returned to the era full of wisdom and sweat. Today, the Shenhai well stove has been renovated, restoring the real scene of using cattle to draw salt and boiling salt with low-pressure natural gas produced in the well; retaining the 18.3-meter-high "sky car" made of round wood and rope bundles; using the principle of leverage, several people pedal on the hammer. The old remains of this ancient salt well are open to the public for Chinese and foreign tourists. There are also various ancient tools displayed in the scenic area, each tool has a QR code next to, you can scan the QR code to listen to the explanation for free. Through these explanations, one can gain a deeper understanding of Zigong’s salt culture and the development of ancient drilling processes. Shenhai Well