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Mining has seen ups and downs but traditional condiments (µ÷ζÁÏ) continue to appeal.

 Any mention of Zigong, Sichuan Province, reminds people 1.________ its salt production and this is 2.________ important source of revenue (²ÆÕþÊÕÈë).

The city, about 200 kilometers from Chengdu, has a history of mining salt 3.________ (stretch) back 2£¬000 years.  The salt was sold all over Sichuan and  other provinces,  and was consumed by one­tenth of China's population. The salt is from wells. One of them, the Shenhai well, was opened in 1835, and is still in 4.________ (operate).  With a depth of 1£¬001. 42 meters, it is among the world's deepest of its kind and 5.________ (current) produces around 2£¬000 kilograms of salt per day. Visitors to the well can buy packs of iodine­free salt 6.________ (mine) just three days earlier.

But, during Spring Festival, 7.________  ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month—falling on Sunday this year—more people  from  around  the  country  flock  to  Zigong 8.________ (view) its world­famous lanterns. Viewing lanterns became a Spring Festival custom in Zigong during the Tang Dynasty. Since then, the 9.________(city) lantern show has been held in more than 70 countries and regions around the world, becoming a calling card of both Zigong and China. The popular show 10.________ (start) from the economic dilemma in the 1980s, when Zigong's economy over­relying on a single product became a problem.