Zigong, formed by the merger of the two former towns of Ziliujing and Gongjing, is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan, Southwestern China.

Salt, salt production, and salt taxes played key roles in Chinese history, economic development, and relations between state and society. The lure of salt profits led to technological innovation and new ways to organize capital. Debate over government salt policies brought forth conflicting attitudes toward the nature of government, private wealth, the relation between the rich and the poor, while the administration of these salt policies was a practical test of a government's competence.