【Haichuan Chemical Industry Site】Wentangjing Salt Field, one of the four major salt fields in eastern Sichuan, and the ancient salt trade route that has existed for a thousand years

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Warm Spring Town in Kai County, formerly known as Wen Tang Jing, is an ancient market town with a history of over two thousand years, and it is also a famous town for its historical and cultural significance in China.

Wenquan Ancient Town is located to the east of Kaixian County in Chongqing. It can be reached via the Yuwan Expressway and Wankai Expressway, followed by a bus from Kaixian County to Wenquan Town. It is about 22 kilometers away from the county seat of Kai County. It is a natural and cultural landscape that combines leisure, entertainment, medical services, and health care. It is called “Onsen” because there are many hot springs in the area. Warm Spring Town, formerly known as Wen Tang Jing, is an ancient market town with a history of over two thousand years. Its terrain is dominated by mountains and hills, with a small amount of river valleys and plateaus as well. The Warm Spring anticline runs from east to west, while the Dongli River flows from north to south through the area. The town boasts beautiful and unique scenery; Guanyin Tan and Qili Tan are picturesque and serene, with strange peaks and rocks, rapid streams and green pools, as well as clear reflections amidst the lush forests. "There are nineteen caves at Jiujing, and each one is said to be inhabited by immortals. The fame of these caves spread throughout eastern Chongqing; their landscapes vary greatly – some are deep and mysterious, some exquisite and ingenious, while others are steep and majestic. The ancients referred to them as \"habitats of secret, strange, and immortal spirits.\" In March 2012, officials from the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Radio Television stated that seven ancient towns, including Longxing Town in Yubei District, Dongxi Town in Qijiang District, Zhuoshui Town in Qianjiang District, Luotian Town in Wanzhou District, Longxi Town in Wushan County, Qingyang Town in Fuling District, and Wenquan Town in Kaixian County, had been identified as the second batch of historic and cultural towns in Chongqing following an evaluation by experts. In November 2013, in order to accelerate the development and construction of Wenquan Ancient Town as a tourist destination, with the approval of the ** of Kai County, it was decided to establish a leading group for the development and construction of Wenquan Ancient Town as a tourist site. Entering the long and narrow streets of the old house district, time seems to slow down, as passersby take their time to appreciate its former splendor. The elders sitting on the streets and the children playing about seem like scenes from a movie unfolding before one’s eyes. Located at 103°31′ east longitude and 31°22′ north latitude, the area is characterized by mountainous terrain and hills, with a small number of river valley plateaus. A hot spring anticline runs from east to west, while the Dongli River flows from north to south through the region. The altitude generally ranges from 400 to 700 meters. The highest point is Jigongliang in Leyuan Village (formerly Tianchi Village), at 1,216 meters, while the lowest point is at Baiyu Village along the Dongli River, at just 190 meters. The Dongli River and its tributaries divide the entire area into five sections. Along the larger river valleys and basins, there are places such as Xianba, Dongbaxi, Xujiaba, and Lijiaba. The town serves as an important route connecting Yunyang, Wuxi, Chengkou, eastern Sichuan, southern Shaanxi, and western Hubei. It is 27 kilometers away from the county seat of Kai County, with a total area of 149 square kilometers. Of this area, 20,929.5 mu is used for farming, while 39,000 mu is covered by forests (of which 13,100 mu are forested areas restored from farmland). It was first established during the Northern Song Dynasty and was under the jurisdiction of Qingshui County (as recorded in \"The Annals of Counties and Prefectures in Sichuan Province\"). It is named Wentang Town because of the hot springs in the area, which keep a constant temperature throughout the four seasons; it was also known as Wentang Well during the Ming Dynasty. It belongs to Hangao Dongli; during the late Qing and early Republican periods, it was known as Dongli Wentangjing Jia. In 1930 it was called Wentang Township; in 1932 it was renamed Wentang Town. In 1935, it was renamed Wentangjing Lianbao. It was renamed Wenquan Town in 1940, and this name remained in use after the liberation in December 1949. It was merged into Qingping Commune in 1959. In 1961, it was separated from Qingping Commune to become Wenquan Town, with a Wenquan branch established. In 1986, after the merger of towns, townships, and communities, it remained Wenquan Town. In 1992, during the restructuring that involved merging districts and towns into larger towns, it was combined with the former towns of Dayan and Leyuan, as well as the Wenquan District Office. The town administers three workstations, 28 villages, 3 community committees, 370 groups, and 25 residential teams. The old street has undergone great changes nowadays. A few remnants of the old streets remain; though in ruins, the occasional broken walls still fail to hide their former beauty... It still exudes a long-lasting and enticing fragrance. Whenever the last rays of the sunset spill into the old streets, it evokes endless thoughts of those yellowed old photographs in people’s minds.

Dark slate paths, quiet and secluded alleys; streets and bridges that have existed for thousands of years. The serene atmosphere of \"a bridge over flowing water\"

“Here’s a little anecdote about the origin of the term “saltba”: The eastern Sichuan region (which is now Chongqing) has been a well-known salt-producing area since ancient times. The Ba people were a tribe with a close connection to salt; by controlling this essential commodity for humanity, they referred to salt as “saltba”. As a result, the term “saltba” is still used in the dialect of Kai County to this day.

To transport the salt produced at Wen Tang Well to various parts of the country, roads had to be built; thus, the Qinba Ancient Road came into existence. The starting point of this ancient road was the Qili Langqiao bridge, located in today’s Wenquan Town, Kaixian County.