The History of Salt Field ~ The Life of Salt Workers

We cannot live without the seven necessit- ies of daily lives and salt is one of them. The development of salt making industry in the inner sea area of Taiwan's Southwest Coast can be traced back to Ming Jheng Dynasty. The organs in charge of salt making have been changed from monopoly office of Ching Dynasty and during Japanese ruling over Taiwan to Taiyen after the retrocession of Taiwan. Along with the advancement of technology, salt making industry in Taiwan has been heading for biotechnology. Although we are not able to witness the greatness of salt making on Southwest Coast now, yet the sites of old salt fields are still there to tell us the whole historical development. Wushulin salt field in Yungan Siang was developed in 1908(during Japanese ruling over Taiwan and four years before the establishment of the Republic of China); at its peak, there was a light rail running between here and Gangshan for the provin- cial distribution. It was till 1984, this field was used for the building of Sinda Fire Power Plant and brought to an end of 76- year salt making history of Yungan Siang.

Salt making industry left Yungan the history of development and the establish- ment of cluster gathering from Beimen. Salt tank and office with baroque style became the important cultural assets of Yungan. Ditches that were used to introd- uce sea water to salt fields now are reserved for the protection of mangroves and the habitat of wild birds. Rich ecological system make Yungan, a fish farming town, a more diversified living environment. The name of "Yungan Wetland" is well know now attracting many bird lovers. Four years later, the development of salt making industry in Yungan will enter its centennial. From salt fields to wetland, the future reservation and use pose a challenge for residents in Yungan.

The Largest Wetland South to Tainan
Local sayings about the salt making industry of Tongyi Store set up by Jhang Sianggong and others tell the fierce waves and harsh weather on the coast side, the beginning development of Yungan's salt fields, and the unpredictable risks and danger of the nature come along with salt making.

In Ming Jheng Dynasty, Taiwan's salt in dustry had been in monopoly for 170 years by few people. The total production area was about only 600 to 700 Jia. After Sino- Japanese War, during Japanese ruling over Taiwan, salt monopoly was once abolished and due to better climate conditions, Taiwan was a more ideal site for salt making and Japanese government en couraged the development of salt fields and the mass production of salt to supply to both domestic and Japanese markets. In 1899, "Rules for Taiwan's Salt Making Industry" was promulgated to permit the management and operation of salt fields and the private application. Local tax release and break was given to salt fields operators.

During that time, the elite from Bamboo Port, Mr. Jhang Zuo-jhou(Sioucai, a quasi- bachelor holder, of Cing Dynasty, called Jhang Sianggong) invited the owner of Tongyi Store in Gangshan, Mr. Huang Wangsian and 30 others to set up a joint venture and applied the operation of "Wushulin" salt fields from Japanese government at the west side of wushulin village, Haiyuan Land, making use of inner sea water of Sinda Port to make salt.

In the first two years, typhoon hit several times and damaged a lot of salt making facilities; finally, they ran out of financial resources and decided to sell the salt fields to the third party, the well-known tycoon of the time, Mr. Chen Jhong-he.

Mr. Chen Jhong-he bought 72 Jia salt fields from Mr. Jhang Zuo-jhou and his partners and in June of the same year, he set up "Wushulin Salt Making Company" to retain the right to operate first 29 Jia and began salt making in some fields. But it was not so smooth at the beginning due to financial difficulty, the damage of typhoon, and high labor cost. Fortunately, the manager put every thing on the right track and by 1914, he completed the develop- ment of 101 Jia salt fields and later expanded to 137 Jia. Among them, 35 Jia is used for water storage tank in application that. actually used for fish fanning. In 1917, the adjacent 121 Jia was again used for fish fanning, nicknamed "Hundred Jia Fish Pond." By that time, salt making and fish fanning have become two important industrial support ofYungan's economy. Wushulin Salt Field began its operation in 1910 and in 1915, there was light rail used as the transportation mean. In 1918, light rail was connected to Lujhu Train Station. After the development of highway, rail way was built to connect the Coast Highway. In 1923, the field was renamed as "Wushulin Salt Making Company" and in 1941, it was purchased by Taiwan Salt Making Company to implement the mono- poly system. Since then, Wushulin Salt Field was owned by Taiyen and became state-owned enterprise after the retroces- sion of Taiwan. Both Wushulin and Jhuhu Salt Field were merged as Kaohsiung Salt Field.

Pottery Salt Flats, Mosaic Landscape
In Taiwan, people dried out sea water under the sun into salt. Sunshine and wind power are two natural conditions to evaporate the water and condense the salt in man-made ditches. Salt field, thus, has to be by the sea or at the location of inner sea. Climate and sunshine are two key factors during the drying out period. Salt flats in Taiwan are categorized into two types according to covering material used on the top of crystallization ponds: "Soil Salt Flats," and "Pottery Salt Flats."

Pottery salt flats of crystallization ponds make use of 6mm broken pottery pieces in thickness and it requires skills and techniques to cover the top like mosaic art. Due to the stronger absorption of sun rays, the depth of salt water is shallower to allow quick evaporation and salt making process. When the sunshine is strong enough, there is one harvest per day; it is possible to one harvest every three to four days when the sunshine is weaker. Salt labors work very hard to produce large quantities of salt according to the weather conditions, but the quality is poorer than that of soil flats. Two types of salt flats have their own pros and cons in quality and quantity production. Wushulin Field belonged to pottery salt flats and old salt labor told us that before building crystalli- zation pond, there is a need to clean the land and mix with seawater; then mud was ready after stepping on foot and finally a tool was used to level the ground for paving pottery pieces.

Salt making process begins with gate opening when tidal wave comes to allow seawater to enter big evaporation pond. On the next day, salt water floats in Hill 2 and then Hill 3, 4, and 5. Water mills or bottle conveyers are used to direct salt water into small evaporation pond and the next day, it is moved to Stage 2. On that evening, salt water floats in salt tank and crystallization pond for solar salt making. Around 2:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon is the harvest time when a lot of labors are needed.

Wushulin Salt Field was originally owned hired only local residents, but later in order to improve solar salt making efficiency, experienced labors such as Chen De-kuan, Chen De-hu, Ke Jhih, and Huang Gu were hired. Along with the increase of labor number, clustering is formed in salt fields, the nowadays salt field village. After the retrocession of Taiwan, Wushulin Salt Field continued manufacturing salt for household use. Because of the change of salt making environment in Taiwan, a lot of salt fields stopped manufacturing. Due to the pollution problem caused by Sinda Fire Power Plant, Wushulin Salt Field was no longer able to produce quality salt. Finally, under the promotion of retreating policy of Taiyen, Wushulin Salt Field ended its 70-years long manufacturing history and became a past after the leaving of all salt labors of Kaohsiung Plant in 1991. The hundred hectares of land were given to Sinda Fire Power Plant.

Waiting for the Spring of Yungan Salt Field
After the approval of its establishment in 1908, Wushulin Salt Field has undergone many changes and salt labors generation after generation depended on it to make a living. Before Sinda inner sea used to comprise more than 500 hectares, yet because of reclaimed land project in the 1960s and the 1970s as well as the building of Sinda Harbor, water discharge of Yungan Salt Field was influenced. In 1977, Sinda Fire Power Plant was built by Taiwan Power Company, the lagoon area was thus decreased to a large degree and the area used for fish pond increased gradually. In addition, pollution coming from the Fire Plant caused the failure to meet salt quality so Taiyen sold Yuangan Field to Taiwan Power Company for the use of ash treat- ment site.

The inner sea site now can only allow the navigation of bamboo rafts. The original site of salt fields now becomes spacious wetland for the habitat of birds. History always has its trace left and a lot of unique salt manufacturing facilities and office are still preserved here along with other diversified landscape. Comparing with other disappeared historical track, Yungan salt fields are blessed.

Yungan Salt Office
In the simple, nature, and spacious salt fields and fish pond, there is a two-story baroque building. After the showering of time and weather, it still shows others the grandness. This is the only western style building in hundreds years of history in Yungan, Yungan Salt Office. The building date remains unknown, but it is believed that the building should have been constructed between the period after the purchase of Wushulin Salt Field by Chen Jhong-he and Taiwan Salt Company. Chen Jhong-he made his fortune by trading material of daily use such as rice, sugar, and salt and later his operation expended to salt and sugar making. A lot of building owned by him were built in the combination of baroque and Japanese style like what we see in "Yungan Salt Office" conveying a sharp contrast with Southern Fujian construction style.

This more than 80 year long building of Salt Office was built in traditional European Baroque style, but the roof was decorated in Japanese style. The building itself made use of local building material-brick structure with two-story inner wooden building. Although it was damaged due to wearing out of time, it still serves well in educational function.

Pottery Crystallization Pond
The space of Yungan Salt Field is composed of evaporation ponds, slat tanks, and crystallization ponds. Only few salt water tanks have been left to accompany Avicennia marina; the rail used for the transportation of salt has been dismantled. Now the sight of salt transportation can only be seen in a photo.

Salt filed sold to Taiwan Power Company was planned originally for the use of ash treatment, but Kaohsiung County govern- ment proposed for the use of nature park.

After the dispute over the owners' right and compensation, pottery crystallization ponds were preserved. The sun ray lays on the top of pottery crystallization ponds and the water reflection give us an amazing scene.