What is the reason why Dongtai was called Yan in ancient times?

Dongtai, called Yan in ancient times, is also called Xixi, Ninghai, Dongting and Jianling for short. Located in the central coast of Jiangsu Province, the north wing of the Yangtze River Delta, bordering the Yellow Sea in the east, Taizhou in the west, Nantong in the south and Yancheng in the north. With a total area of 3,240 square kilometers and a golden coastline of 85 kilometers, Dongtai Coast is the only unpolluted seashore holy place on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean recognized by UNESCO.

Dongtai is the most prosperous city in He Lixia and the core area of Gong Fan levee, with a history of more than 2 100 years. Dongtai people belong to Jiangsu and Zhejiang ethnic groups, and most people use Rutai dialect.

Dongtai is famous for producing salt. This is the famous "land of plenty" in China, and it is known as the "Pearl of the Yellow Sea". Dongtai soap skin culture is the birthplace of China salt culture and the cradle of Huai salt culture. The love legend of seven fairies in Dongtai, Yong Dong is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Dongtai is one of the excellent tourist cities in China. "You can hear cranes in the crisp autumn, and you can see every pearl in the hazy sea at night." The poet Fan Zhongyan used this poem to describe the seaside scenery of Dongtai.

Dongtai actually has a real ancient street-Anfeng Ancient Street. It is located in Anfeng (the first famous historical and cultural town in China in northern Jiangsu), more than 20 kilometers away from Dongtai City, by the river. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Anfeng Salt Field ranked first among the "Top Ten Salt Fields in Huainan", and merchants gathered in all directions. As a result, Qili Long Street, 72 and a half temples and thousands of shops came into being. The current Anfeng Ancient Street is the southern section of the "Qili Long Street" in the past, with six or seven hundred meters long stone roads and brick roads, both sides of which are old buildings, forming the largest and best-preserved ancient residential building in northern Jiangsu.