During Major Heat, it "snows" in Xuwen, Zhanjiang, at the southernmost tip of the Chinese mainland.

Sunset over the salt fields. Photo by Chen Feilai

Vast salt fields. Photo by Yang Chuan

During Major Heat, the Leizhou Peninsula receives abundant sunshine and experiences intense evaporation, marking the prime window for salt production.

A salt worker carries baskets through the crystallising ponds. Photo by Shi Dongyang

Each grain of sea salt absorbs sea breezes and sunlight. Photo by Lan Weiqiang

In Xuwen, at the southernmost tip of the Chinese mainland, salt pans shimmer and stretch out like mirrors. The area is home to Guangdong's largest surviving traditional salt fields, where traditional processes are preserved in their most complete form and a distinctive flat-spreading solar salt-making method is still in use.

Traditional salt-making techniques endure at Xuwen Salt Fields. Photo by Li Shuxiong

Salt piles mound up on the ground like snowdrifts. Photo by Shi Dongyang

Each grain of sea salt goes through multiple procedures, including tide collection, brine preparation, crystallisation, harvesting and purification. Seen from afar, the salt piles resemble snow. Shaped by sea breezes and sunlight, the salt embodies the original charm of a thousand-year-old tradition of solar salt-making.

The salt pans stretch out like gleaming mirrors. Photo by He Ling

Author | Chen Wen

Revised by Huang Qini