Hedong Salt-Lake Salt-producing Technology In Tang Dynasty From STS Perspective

The technology of salt producing, "Ken Qi Jiao Shai" is a milestone in the salt-producing history of Hedong, the proficient application of this technology then increased in Tang Dynasty the salt output and improved the salt quality, moreover, it raised the financial income. The specialty of this technology lies in that it dependents completely on natural resources such as sunshine and wind, etc. It is more than one thousand years earlier than sea-salt and western European salt-producing technology. Has gone through Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, this technology is still in application in Hedong Salt-Lake. There are mainly two significances for the research of this salt producing technology. Firstly, the research could enrich the ancient science and culture as well as the ancestral culture of the south of Shan'xi province, which would offer more theoretical support for the industry of tourism about ancestral culture. Secondly, the research could disclose the modern geochemical technical ideas of this salt producing technology, so that it could provide practical examples to the comprehensive utilization of resources of Shan'xi province even our country.The development of Chinese ancient science and technology came to the peak in Tang Dynasty when various technologies have been improved a lot, such as agriculture, hydraulic project and smelting iron, etc.. The development of these technologies constituted the social context of "Ken Qi Jiao Shai" salt-producing technology together with the economic and cultural situations of that time. These elements were influential to the salt producing skill of "Ken Qi Jiao Shai".This thesis examines the "Ken Qi Jiao Shai" salt-producing technology from the perspective of STS and explores its evolutional procedure and significances. This thesis consists five parts. The first chapter gives a brief introduction of the natural conditions of Hedong Salt-Lake and the history of the salt-producing technology before Tang Dynasty. The second chapter explains in details the production process of "Ken Qi Jiao Shai" salt-producing technology of Hedong Salt-Lake in Tang Dynasty. Meanwhile, this chapter reveals the scientific principles in every step respectively. In addition, this chapter points out that it is the natural environment that plays the most important role in the maturation of this salt-producing technology. Chapter three, based on the fact that agriculture has been very developed well in Yuncheng basin, by comparing the productive modes with those of Tang Dynasty in terms of guiding ideas, technologies and administrative principles, etc., of lake-salt production and that of agriculture production, argues that lake-salt production mode is the epitome of ancient agricultural productive mode. It is resulted from comprehensive social elements of agriculture, technology, hydraulic project, etc. of Tang Dynasty. Chapter four discusses the social significances of this salt producing technology in terms of lake-salt output, salt-revenue tax, some relative administrative policies, the development of Yuncheng City as well as the geochemistry technology. Chapter five investigates the significances of this lake-salt production mode from two aspects: the material aspect and the cultural and ideological aspect.