An Investigation on the Huai River Region's Salt Industry before the Sui Dynasty

The Huai River Regions salt industry before the Sui Dynasty was rarely discussed within academic circles. The Huai River Regions salt business achieved great development in the two Han Dynasties after it appeared approximately during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. From then on down to the Sui Dynasty, because salt was a necessity and salt business was highly considered by the governments, salt business went forward tortuously despite of the frequent changes of feudal regimes, lots of war turmoils in the Huai River Region and the constant changes of salt administration and institution. The development of salt economy played an inestimable role on the superiority of north Jiangsu's economic and cultural development to that of south Jiangsu.