With the 2025 World Maritime Day theme—"Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity"—drawing focus to the vital role of our seas, Zhejiang Province offers a living testament to humanity’s age-old bond with the ocean: the sun-dried sea salt fields of Hua’ao Island in Xiangshan County.
Facing the vast East China Sea, Dafotou Mountain once served as a natural lighthouse for passing ships. At its base stretches a salt field where sunlight, sea breeze and skilled hands have shaped coastal life for more than 1,300 years.
Here, generations of salt farmers harness clear skies to evaporate seawater in shallow pans, harvesting crystalline salt with a flavor shaped by the region’s unique tides and minerals. In 2008, the Xiangshan sea-salt sun-drying technique was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, cementing its status as a cultural treasure.
Today, Hua’ao Salt Field stands as Zhejiang’s sole active site preserving this living craft. At dawn, workers clad in wide-brimmed hats tend rows of evaporation pans, monitoring temperature and weather patterns with time-tested precision. Each grain of salt—rich in trace minerals—carries the story of coastal ingenuity and a community’s commitment to sustainable traditions.
More than a seasonal harvest, this heritage practice highlights how local economies interweave with marine ecosystems. As global citizens and ocean stewards, we can draw inspiration from these salt custodians, whose daily rituals echo the broader call to protect our blue planet.
Across cultures and continents, the tale of Hua’ao’s salt fields reminds us that preserving intangible heritage is both an obligation and an opportunity—to innovate responsibly, share knowledge and celebrate the ocean’s enduring gifts.
Reference(s):
Guardians of the blue planet: Zhejiang sea salt sun-drying heritage
cgtn.com
