Abstract: Shiyang, an ancient town that first saw its prosperity because of salt, was listed among the first batch of 3 towns of historical and cultural heritage by the Yunnan provincial government in 1995. The white salt wells (Shiyang) were first mined before the 3rd century B.C. In the Han dynasties (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.), official salt administration was installed there. The Yi and the Bai were the first to develop Shiyang before the so-called three big families of white salt wells entered. On the one hand, immigrants and locals of the same surnames or from the same areas lived together. On the other hand, people of different surnames lived together and dispersed to area surrounding the wells. So the Han and other people of minority ethnic groups lived in close vicinity, triggering the phenomena of inter-influence, co-existence and mutual development among cultures of the minority ethnic groups, the heartland, the locals and the immigrants.

Key words: Shiyang,Yunnan Province, salt culture, immigrant, multi-dimensional culture