Popliu Well

Popliu Well

Located on the flat ground at the southern foot of Gongchen Mountain. According to the Lin’an County Annals: “When King Wusu was born, he had an unusual appearance and was abandoned in the well, but the old woman staunchly kept him, hence his childhood name.” During the Cultural Revolution, the well was filled in and the stele destroyed. In the winter of 1983, the city’s cultural relics management committee restored it to its original state and re-erected the stele.

The Popliu Well is about 5 meters deep, circular, and built with blue bricks. Above ground, there is an octagonal stone well curb. Luo Yin’s Ode to the Popliu Well reads: “Behold this well, nurturing the spirit of the abyss. As in Shēn and Tái, here too heroes are stored. When a long rainbow rose, piercing the blue heavens, it was the imperial aura, a sign of greatness to come. Thus arose a hegemon, bringing peace to the people. Abundant blessings flowed like the Zhe River, matching the virtue of the Eastern Sea.”