The Digital Latitude of Salt and Litchi: Millennium Evolution of Putian's Specialized Economy
I. The Secret of 2,482 Scholars Putian. 1,973 square kilometers. No iron mines. No silver deposits. But it produced 2,482 Jinshi — the highest imperial exam degree. That number ranks in the top five in all of Chinese history. How? The answer is in two colors: the red of litchis and the white of salt. When litchis ripened, Putian’s gentry did the math — not “how much money will this make,” but “how many sons can this send to school.” When salt turned white, the government did the math — not “how much tax did we collect,” but “how many bridges and dikes can this build.” ...