Yandi Palace

Yandi Palace

The salt burning workers in Zigong City, Sichuan Province built a guild hall with funds raised by guild organizations.

The guild hall of salt burning workers in Zigong salt factory, Sichuan Province. In order to keep in touch with the local people, help each other, and safeguard the self-interest and industry interest of salt burning workers, salt burning workers in Zigong salt factory established the Yan Emperor Association in 1842, and built the Yan Emperor Palace on the South Bank of Fuxi River (now at zhangjiatuo of Ziliujing). The building is a two-story timber structure with lifting beams. The gate tower and the stage are integrated, surrounded by Baolou on both sides. There are statues of Emperor Yan Shennong and Guan Shengsheng in the main hall. In addition to offering sacrifices to gods and spirits, it is also a place for coordinating workers' disputes, local discussion and information exchange

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Salt workers from all walks of life have set up trade associations to facilitate communication and safeguard their own interests, similar to the current trade associations. Most of the branches built their own guild hall, the Yan Emperor Palace, which was built by salt burners themselves.

In the early years of Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty, most of the salt burning workers in Ziliujing came from other places, but there were few local people. In order to make friends with the villagers, they raised funds to build a local temple and set up a land society. Later, under the advocacy of Deng Keyu, a local scholar, all the workers agreed and began to build the Yan Emperor Palace.

During Xianfeng Period, Yandi palace was completed. Because all the workers came to build the Yan Emperor's palace voluntarily, the construction of the Yan Emperor's palace cost more than 10000 yuan.

Yandi palace, which belongs to the salt burning workers, has clear organizational principles. There are six people in charge of economy, litigation and temple management. Ten people in charge of kitchen and chores. The first thing to change is proposed by the former Ren and approved by everyone. After being elected, the former insurer should compensate according to the number if there is any malpractice.

At the same time, Yandi Palace also established a set of rules and regulations. For example, it was stipulated that the salt burning workers in the salt factory at that time must join the Yan Emperor's meeting, and the new workers were not allowed to meet the dismissed people, let alone steal, otherwise they would be punished by the guild.

In addition, Yandi Palace also undertakes the civil function of coordinating disputes among workers and dealing with peer affairs. If there is a dispute between the congregation, it is necessary to pay "deposit money" of three hundred Wen, which is equivalent to two tables of banquet money. The plaintiff shall give it first, and the banquet shall be shared by the principal, the witness and the plaintiff and the defendant. After accepting the plaintiff's request at the meeting, the plaintiff, the defendant and the witness were invited to the temple. The plaintiff and the defendant are not allowed to raise their hands or raise their voices. Otherwise, they will be fined 40 Jin of vegetable oil, and the witnesses will be punished for lying and fouls, forming a set of fairly complete standards and rules of judicial proceedings.

In 1930, Liu Wenhui, a warlord in Sichuan Province, wanted to auction Temple products in order to earn money. Salt merchants worried that workers would make trouble for them, so the chamber of Commerce came forward and advocated that the temple products of Yandi Palace should not be sold. Therefore, Yandi palace was preserved.

Address: Shuncheng Road, Zhenyuan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Longitude: 108.430989

Latitude: 27.050392611206

Chinese PinYin : Yan Di Gong