Ānníng

Anning lies west of Kunming on the road into western Yunnan. Its salt springs were already known in antiquity, when the Han appointed a salt official at the settlement then called Lianran. Nearby hot springs also drew visitors, who left inscriptions on the cliffs above the Tanglang River. The Ming established Anning Prefecture in 1382 and organised the salt wells under a salt revenue office. The Anning wells reached their height of production during the dynasty, but their brine gradually weakened. In 1623 the salt office moved to Langjing, reflecting the growing importance of other wells. The warm springs continued to attract officials and writers: an inscription left by the governor He Mengchun in 1521 is among the earliest surviving examples.