The Sichuan Basin's ancient salt-well system has been officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Known as the birthplace of deep-drilling technology, these sites in Zigong feature 1,000-meter-deep wells and bamboo pipelines that have been operational for nearly two millennia. The designation recognizes the site as an exceptional example of sustainable industrial heritage and ancient engineering ingenuity.
The salt wells are particularly notable for their early use of natural gas to boil brine, marking one of the first historical instances of fossil fuel application. UNESCO noted that the preservation of the Shenhai Well and its surrounding traditional workshops provides an irreplaceable record of the salt trade's role in shaping East Asian economic history.