Editorial photo #13229600 Economy, Business and Finance
Sichuan
In Zigong, Sichuan Province, China, on April 14, 2025, a man extracts salt from an ancient salt well in the city of Zigong, Sichuan, the cradle of one of the world's oldest salt industries. Using a manual or mechanical pumping system, brine is drawn from deep underground and then channeled into large vats where it is heated until evaporation. This know-how, refined over more than two millennia, shapes the region's economy and gastronomy. In Zigong, salt is far more than a seasoning; it is a unique cultural and technical heritage in China. (Photo by Emeric Fohlen/NurPhoto)