Ancient Well in Wenling

Ancient Well in Wenling

The ancient well in Wenling is a cultural relic protection unit of Wenling City.

The Yuquan Well in Zhongshan Village is located at No. 23, Chenghai West Road, Zhongshan Village, Shitang Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. It was built in June 1936 (the 25th year of the Republic of China). The well is circular, constructed with block stones, and features a hexagonal white stone well curb made by joining six large stone slabs with tenons. Each slab measures 65 cm per side, 14 cm thick, and 60 cm high. The characters “Yuquan (Kite Spring)” are inscribed on the outer side of the western well curb, while the adjacent curb is engraved with “Erected in June, the 25th Year of the Republic of China.” The well is solidly built and sturdy, and the spring water is clear and sweet, serving as a vital water source for local residents.

The Wangyu Well is located west of No. 57, Xiaomentou Road, Shenghai Village, Shitang Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. The well is circular, constructed with block stones, and features a hexagonal white stone well curb made by joining six large stone slabs with tenons. Each slab measures 55 cm per side, 72 cm high, and the total area is 0.8 square meters. One of the well curb slabs has the characters “Wangyu Well (Rain-Praying Well)” horizontally engraved inside, with vertical inscriptions on the sides. The right inscription reads “the 27th Year of the Republic of China (1938),” while the left inscription is partially blurred, showing “built by □□ public funds.” The water quality remains good and the well is still in use.

The Ganquan Well in Dahuangni Village is located near No. 218, Dahuangni Village, Shitang Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. The well curb is irregularly octagonal, measuring 1.65 m in external width, 1.31 m in internal width, and covering an area of about 2 square meters. The construction method of the well curb is rather unique, consisting of eight large stone slabs with tenons fitted together and sealed with lime mortar. The thickness of the slabs varies from 0.11 to 0.13 meters. The well wall is circular and built with block stones. One of the well curb slabs bears inscriptions indicating the well name and related construction information. The top row horizontally inscribes the village name “Dahuangni,” the middle vertically shows the well name “Ganquan Well (Sweet Spring Well),” and there are inscriptions on both sides. The right side shows the year “the 36th Year of the Republic of China” and the reason for building the well, such as “drought.” The left side lists donors who contributed to the construction, including the inscription “Huang Xianqing from the well foundation donated.”

The Dashuiku Well in Dongbin Village is located beside No. 282, Sigutian, Dongbin Village, Shitang Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. The well was originally dug during the Qing Dynasty and renovated in the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933). The well curb is hexagonal, 0.58 m high, 0.9 m per side, 6 cm thick, and covers an area of 2.1 square meters. It is made by joining six large stone slabs with tenons. The well wall is circular and built with irregular block stones. On the inner side of the western well wall, there is a stone tablet from the 22nd year of the Republic of China documenting the renovation and water usage, though some of the text has become blurred.

The Ancient Well at Qingshi Bridge is located at the intersection of Shangjie and Gujing Road on Wenling Street, Wenqiao Town, situated in the middle of Shangjie. The well has a square body built with block stones and a circular white stone well curb. Inscriptions on the curb read from left to right: “1848 AD / the 25th Year of the Daoguang Reign, Qing Dynasty / auspicious day of the lotus month / the Ancient Well at Qingshi Bridge, a sweet spring / collectively rebuilt / major renovation in 1996 AD.” This well is the earliest historically recorded ancient well in Wenling and also serves as a landmark structure on Wenling Street.

The Red Army Well is located in the center of Jietou Village, Wugen Town, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. The well has a circular body built with block stones and a white stone well curb. It has an inner diameter of 47.3 cm, an outer diameter of 67.3 cm, and a height of 36.9 cm, with the characters “Red Army Well” inscribed on the curb. In 1930, the Second Red Army Division was stationed in Jietou. Due to the large number of soldiers and a drought, access to drinking water became difficult. Leaders of the Red Army organized soldiers to deepen and widen an ancient well at Datouting in Jietou Village, tapping into groundwater to solve the drinking water problem for both soldiers and civilians. Later generations, in gratitude, named the well the Red Army Well.

The Dangjie Well is located in Dangjie Well Alley, Taiping Subdistrict, Wenling City, Zhejiang Province. The well has a circular wall built with block stones covered in moss. The well curb is circular and white, with an outer diameter of 0.75 m, an inner diameter of 0.52 m, a height of 0.38 m, and an area of 0.44 square meters. The characters “Erected in September, the 2nd Year of the Guangxu Reign” are inscribed vertically in two lines on the middle southern part of the well curb in regular script. The edge of the well curb has a groove designed for a well cover. The water is clear and the well is still in use. Dangjie Well is a landmark of Dangjie Well Alley, which is named after the well.