Salt, as a commodity, holds significant importance in national economy and people’s livelihood, From ancient times to the present, the state has commonly regulated this specific substance, with salt tax revenue being one of the most important sources of national fiscal income.Those ,engaged in the salt trade are known as “salt merchants”. However, during the state monopoly on salt and iron, the state controlled all production and sales of salt, so true “salt merchants” did not exist.The term “salt merchant” first appeared during the Tang Xuanzong period with the reforms of Liu Yan, the Salt and Iron Commissioner of Yangzhou,Subsequently, through the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, they became representative of the wealthiest groups,even Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty remarked, “The wealth of the salt merchants is immense, surpassing even mine!” The Qing dynasty novel “The Scholars” and the notes “Yangzhou Boat Records” record also described many scenes about the rich salt merchants. During their wealth accumulation process, salt merchants became synonymous with terms like “cunning”, “greedy”, “reeking of money”, and “profit-driven”, which have solidified our perception of their image. During their wealth accumulation process, salt merchants became synonymous with terms like “cunning”, “greedy”, “reeking of money”, and “profit-driven”, which have solidified our perception of their image.For a long time, according to the traditional Chinese social hierarchy of “scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants”, salt merchants did not have a high social status. Therefore, they used their wealth to improve their social standing. This is why they actively participated in national and local affairs, and their active involvement positively influenced local political, economic, and cultural development. As a group that operated in regions beyond the reach of central authority, who exactly were they? Currently, scholarly research on salt merchants mainly focuses on the Jiangnan region in the lower Yangtze River, a prosperous area where salt merchants exhibit more common characteristics for study.This article studies the salt merchants of Zigong in the late Qing period, analyzing their historical image and characteristics from both common and individual perspectives, in order to provide readers with a reinterpretation of this group.