Five or six thousand years ago, in the Neolithic Age, there were already ancestors of Yanfu people toiling, living and breeding along this narrow territory, conceiving the ancient civilization of Yancheng City, which is located bordering the Yellow Sea, along the banks of Huaihe River and on the bank of Sheyang Lake. In the era of the Warring States, ancestors of Yancheng people took advantage of their geographic location, and cooked seawater into salt. In the Qin Dynasty and Han Dynasty, people within the region cooked seawater to make a profit and connected the channels for transportation, boosting the industries of salt making and iron casting. At that time, this region was highly populated, and iron agricultural tools and cow plough techniques were prevalent. In the fourth year of Han Emperor Yuan Shou rule (119 B. C.), the imperial government set aside a portion, which borders the Yellow Sea, of the ancient Sheyang County and established a county on that territory. The county was named Yandu County because it was dense with salt making grounds and covered with web-like canals for salt transportation. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sun Jian, a native of Fuchun County (known today as Fuyang City, Zhejiang Province), was appointed as governor of Yandu County. It was a reward for his success in defeating Xu Chang and Xu Shao, who were father and son and peasant insurgent leaders. Sun Jian was the earliest governor of Yandu County recorded in the history book. His second son, Sun Quan, became king of Wu Kingdom. In the 7th year under the rule of Yi Xi, the Eastern Jin An Emperor (411 A. D.), Yandu County was renamed Yancheng because of the salt grounds across the city. Yancheng City thus became the city that produces salt.

Yangcheng City was established as a county because of salt, and grew into a city because of salt. In the long history of sea salt production, Yancheng has always been leading the way in technology, output and quality. The sea salt culture is both the reason for Yancheng City's reputation and the root and soul of the city's civilization.