The salt of Chishui River

Any restaurant in Guizhou, big or small, has a saltshaker on each table - just like in the rest of the country.

But a century ago, this was unthinkable. Salt was a precious commodity. It was not consumed in refined grains, but rather, in pebble-sized lumps. One would dip it into a dish and quickly withdraw, leaving a faint taste of brackishness.

The inland province of Guizhou does not produce any salt. Historical records show that even horses fell sick from a deficiency of salt. So, shipping salt to Guizhou was a big business, with much of the supplies coming from neighboring Sichuan. As Guizhou was landlocked, the Chishui River was a major route of transport.