BEIJING, April 22, 2026  – On the 57th World Earth Day, the global launch of "World Earth Health Day" was held in Beijing, bringing together hundreds of delegates from UN agencies, embassies, and global ecological sectors. The event issued a "blue invitation" to over 7 billion people worldwide to protect their shared home.  Tianjin Changlu Hangu Saltern, the producer of Luhua Sea Salt and the only representative of China's thousand-year-old salt industry, was invited to share its unique story of coexistence between salt production and nature.

Mr. Li Hongyan addresses the audience

Salt as a Living Bond: A Thousand-Year-Old Eco-System

The story of Hangu Saltern became a focal point of the conference under the theme "Salt as a Living Bond." Operating continuously since the Five Dynasties period (year 925 AD), the Saltern has never ceased production for over a millennium. Remarkably, its surrounding wetland ecosystem has formed a symbiotic relationship with salt-making activities.

W ang Yong, General Manager of Hangu Saltern, addresses the audience.

Evaporation ponds double as stopovers for migratory birds, algae in the salt pans feed tens of thousands of waterbirds, and careful human management maintains the water-salt balance, preventing over-exploitation.

"We don't just take from nature; we brew with nature,"  said Wang Yong, General Manager of Hangu Saltern, summarizing the site's philosophy. This practice was presented by the conference as a classic case of  "Nature-based Solutions."  Experts noted that while many salt lakes globally are shrinking due to over-exploitation, the Hangu model offers a replicable form of Eastern wisdom: respecting natural rhythms, combining intangible cultural heritage with modern ecological monitoring, and transforming salt from a potential "wound on the land" into a  "bond of life."

Ecologic Code in a Single Chinese Character

The conference also highlighted an ecological code hidden in the ancient Chinese character for salt,  " 鹽 ."  This character is composed of three parts: the symbol for "brine," a "vessel," and an official supervisor. It vividly depicts the process of ancient people collecting brine and relying on natural evaporation to crystallize salt –  taking only what nature gives, without forceful extraction.

A UNESCO representative at the conference marveled at this, saying:  "The Chinese character itself is a history book recording the dialogue between humans and nature."

Event Site  

Event Site

Group photo of leaders

A Blue Invitation to the World

The most moving moment came when the conference issued a global initiative to protect the Earth. The declaration stated:  "We, people from different continents, civilizations, and beliefs, affirm together: Earth is our only blue home."

In this "blue invitation," the thousand-year-old Saltern by the coast of Bohai Bay contributed a unique piece of Chinese wisdom: protecting our planet's health can happen on every piece of land that is cared for –  including a salt field that has been diligently working for a thousand years.

Good salt is the taste of co-creating with nature.

About Luhua Sea Salt

Tianjin Changlu Hangu Saltern, established in 925 AD, is China's National Certified Salt Producer No. 001. Luhua Sea Salt is still made using traditional solar evaporation methods. Each grain takes about 300 days to naturally crystallize, earning it the title of "young salt" with a vibrant, fresh ocean flavor.

Its production area, which has coexisted harmoniously with coastal wetlands for over a thousand years, is recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage and an Industrial Heritage site. It stands as an outstanding example of a  "Community of Life between Humanity and Nature."