Dayao County History

Shiyang, one of the earliest historic and cultural towns of Yunnan Province, is 35 kilometers northwest of Dayao County, Chuxiong Prefecture. Shiyang is known for its “salt culture” and Confucian culture.

The salt production can date back to the West Han Dynasty (202 B.C-9 A.D), and it was most booming in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties when the salt output could meet the demand of over 1 million residents of the counties of Yao’an, Yongren, Huaping and Xiangyun etc. Multitudes of traders and horse caravans flocked into Shiyang in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), making it an important stop on the South Silk Road. The Confucian Temple of Shiyang, located at the foot of Xingling Mountain, was first built in Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty. A copper statue of Mr. Confucius is enshrined in it. With a weight of 2,500 kg and a height of 2.3 meters, the statue is rare of its kind in the whole country.