Yancheng is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest jurisdiction area in Jiangsu, Yancheng borders Lianyungang to the north, Huai'an to the west, Yangzhou and Taizhou to the southwest, Nantong to the south, and looks out to the Yellow Sea to the east.Yancheng, literally "Salt City", is named after the salt harvest fields that surround the city. According to historical records, collection and production of sea salt in the region began as early as 119 BC during the Western Han Dynasty, when the settlement on the current location of Yancheng was named Yandu County. According to the 2010 Census, Yancheng has a registered population of 8,203,728 — with 7,260,240 permanent residents.