盐，从古至今对中国人来说都是一个非常重要的调料，制作盐的历史也已经有上千年。现任自贡燊海井生产部主任的游强对着镜头侃侃而谈，说起他与盐的缘分，却源自“阴差阳错”的相遇。

You Qiang, the current director of the production department of Shenhai Well, Zigong City, talked about his contact with salt, whichall began with an ‘accidental’ encounter.

游强的母亲和外公都在盐厂工作，他自称是“生在天车下，长在盐锅边的’盐三代’”。2000年初，他被调到燊海井“烧盐匠”岗位，自幼在盐锅边长大的游强深知盐厂工作的艰辛，大夏天要打赤膊在六七十度的锅边上反复搅动盐锅;日复一日地熬制盐，让游强的双手布满老茧，“出去和同学划拳，特意要手心朝下”游强回忆说。

You Qiang’s mother and grandfather both work in the salt factory, so he identifies as a “‘third-generation salt-maker’ who was born and raised around the Tianche (wooden derrick) and salt pot”. At the beginning of 2000, You Qiang wastransferred to the position of ‘salt concentrating worker’ at Shenhai Well due to an organizational system reform. Growing up amidst the salt-making process, You Qiang fully understood the hardships of working in the salt factory, such as repeatedly stirring the salt pot next to the pot at 60 or 70 degrees Celsius in the summer shirtlessly. Additionally, the daily routine of concentrating salt left his hands covered in thick calluses. You Qiang recalled: “When I played the finger-guessing game with my classmates, I had to keepmy palms facing down to hide the calluses”.

一次给游客讲解制盐过程的经历，让游强逐渐意识到自己在做很有价值的事情，心里有了成就感。随着工作的深入，以及对传统制盐工艺的钻研和学习，游强逐渐想把古法制盐传承下去、传播出去：“如果从制盐的工艺上和效率上来说，它肯定是落后的，但作为一种文化遗产，必须有一代代人传承下去。”

An experience of explaining the salt-making process to tourists gradually allowed You Qiang to recognize that he was doing something quite meaningful, bringing a sense of accomplishment to his heart. With the deep engagement of work, coupled with the exploration and study of the traditional salt-making technique, You Qiang developed a growing sense of mastery and genuinely took traditional salt-making as his own business.

2015年，游强成为自贡井盐传统熬制技艺代表性传承人。现在的他不仅仅是一名新时代的古法制盐人，更是盐文化的传播者。

In 2015, You Qiang became the representative inheritor of Zigong well salt traditional deep drilling and drawing technique. Currently, You Qiang is not only a traditional salt-maker in the new era, but also a transmitter of salt culture.