The field of salt archaeology emerged in Europe in the early twentieth century and expanded to Japan in the 1950s, experiencing significant growth thereafter. Early salt archaeology in China, including excavations in the Three Gorges Region and Laizhou Bay, has greatly enhanced our understanding of ancient Chinese salt production. In recent years, the field has made considerable progress, with numerous discoveries across the southeast coast, South China, the northwest, southwest, along the Great Wall, and the northeast. These findings have significantly deepened our knowledge of early salt production sites in both inland and coastal regions of China, providing a strong foundation for future research. Building on this progress, salt archaeology has expanded to many other areas, including Gansu, Tibet, Yunnan, Hainan, Zhejiang, Hebei, Jilin, Qinghai, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. This ongoing work continues to generate valuable data, helping to fill longstanding gaps in the field.