Chao Nan Salt Field Introduction
The fishing and salt industries flourished since the Qing Dynasty, and the past beautiful scenery of "full bags of fish and salt" was prominent. In 1824, the establishment of the Zhounan Salt Field marked the "golden age" of salt production in Taiwan. Over time, Taiwan transitioned from self-producing to importing table salt, and in 2002, "sun-dried salt" production concluded. To revive the rich salt field culture of Budai, the Budai Mouth Cultural Association envisions a "Happy Salt Field Heart Salt Village" and adopts "Environmental Education/Activity Industry" as its sustainable management strategy, integrating salt field production, living, and ecology. This revitalizes the Zhounan Salt Field, which had been abandoned for six years, bringing it back to life as a cultural, tourism, and educational site, allowing visitors to experience the old spirit and new charm of the salt field firsthand. The "Zhounan Salt Field" is a "Cultural Salt Field," while the adjacent Xinzuozai community (including Longjiang and Xinzuo Districts) is a "Cultural Salt Village," presenting the historical depth, local context, and life scenarios of Budai's salt industry from cultural and daily life perspectives. The "Salt Giving Festival" is an important annual celebration at the Zhounan Salt Field, where salt workers used to prepare offerings to worship the salt field on significant festivals, expressing gratitude to the heavens and various deities for a fruitful salt harvest. Since 2008, the Zhounan Salt Field has held the Salt Giving Festival annually at the end of the year to express thanks to the land, combining traditional industry culture to form an important contemporary cultural festival event.
