在中国,食盐成为日常生活的必需品和交换流通物品的历史极其悠久。其起源大概可以追溯到中国上古时代。不过,食盐的生产和制铁手工业等其他主要手工业一样,也是在春秋末期到战国时期以后这段时间,才和农业分离,由脱离了村落的手工业者经营,实现了商品生产。由于有了这种商品生产及商品流通方式,人民中间才出现了以收益为目的,专门从事盐业生产的制盐者,引起了民间盐业生产的兴盛发展。众所周知,这种盐业经营者和同时期的冶铁业经营者均为中国古代大商人、大富豪的 In China, salt has a long history of necessities and exchange of circulation. Its origins can be traced back to China's ancient times. However, salt production, like other major handicrafts such as iron handicrafts, was also separated from agriculture during the late Spring and Autumn Period and after the Warring States Period. It was managed by handicraftsmen who had left the villages and realized the production of commodities. Due to the production of such commodities and the circulation of commodities, there emerged a salt-producing person specializing in the production of salt for profit purposes among the people, causing the flourishing development of the private salt industry. As we all know, this salt industry operators and the same time the iron industry operators are the ancient Chinese big businessman, the rich