Cui Po Well

Cui Po Well

In the urban area of Changde, there are four ancient wells: Cui Po Well, Sunflower Well, Four-Eyes Well, and Luffa Well. Cui Po Well is one of these four historic wells. Located on the embankment of the Yuan River at the southern foot of Hefu Mountain, the well is marked by an eight-foot-tall stone stele inscribed with the characters “Cui Po Immortal Well.” In 2011, Cui Po Well was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site, believed to have been dug during the Song Dynasty. The well opening is round, built with long slabs of stone, with a diameter of 1.5 meters and a depth of about 8 meters. The water is cool and never dries up throughout the year.

Hefu Cui Po Well is one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Wuling” and serves as a cultural and historical emblem of Changde. The well is cherished and valued not only for its long history but also for its rich humanistic atmosphere and legendary tales.

With a long history and unique character, Cui Po Well is recorded in many historical chronicles. The Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing-era “Changde Prefecture Records” states: “Thirty li west of the prefecture, at the foot of Mount Wushan, lies the residence of Cui Po. It is said that during the Song Dynasty, the Taoist priest Zhang Xubai often stayed as a guest at the home of the wine-selling old woman Cui. He asked for wine but never demanded payment, doing so year after year without ever tiring of it. Later, when he asked the old woman what she desired, she cited the inconvenience of drawing water from the distant river. Zhang then pointed to a vacant spot near her house suitable for digging a well. After digging just a few feet, they struck water—sweet and clear, even better than wine. People flocked to buy it, and the family’s fortunes grew day by day. Later, Zhang Xubai left behind a poem for the old woman. Today, the well remains, but the spring water is no longer the same.”

In the prefectural records, Mount Wushan refers to today’s Hefu Mountain. The Taoist priest Zhang Xubai wandered here, while Cui Po was an ordinary village woman who brewed wine in the mountains. Zhang Xubai frequently drank at her home without paying, yet she never complained. To show his gratitude, Zhang pointed out a place for her to dig a well, solving her water-fetching troubles. The well was thus named after Cui Po. Historical texts state that Cui Po Well was excavated under Zhang Xubai’s guidance. Additionally, Hefu Mountain is abundant in springs. Historical records say that during the Three Kingdoms period, Guan Yu thrust his sword into the ground and a spring gushed forth, known as “Zhuodao Spring.” Cui Po Well is not far from Zhuodao Spring and is also a spring-fed well.

After centuries of change, the spring still flows continuously. In 2012, it was renovated and now features two square wells—one large and one small.

The magical legends surrounding these two square wells keep the story of Cui Po Well alive. Most documented versions of the Cui Po legend date back to the Ming Dynasty, a time when the population was rising and well irrigation was thriving. Moreover, the legend of Cui Po Well originates from Taoism and spread among the people. Based on official prefectural records, it incorporated artistic creations by common folk, adding a Taoist touch to the tale of Cui Po selling wine. The Hefu Mountain area where Cui Po Well is located is lush with green trees, with the winding river below, making it a picturesque land of green hills and clear waters. As the saying goes, “A mountain needs no great height to be sacred if it is home to an immortal.” Hefu Mountain has long hosted temples and Taoist shrines. It later became a renowned Buddhist and Taoist holy site, with historical records mentioning eminent monks and Taoists who practiced here, residing in the still-extant Taihe Temple and Duchi Monastery. Amid such a strong Taoist and Buddhist ambiance on Hefu Mountain, the kind-hearted, gentle, hardworking, and charitable image of Cui Po—as well as her story of reaping what she sowed—became widely celebrated.

The people who once lived around Cui Po Well have long since passed away, but the ancient well continues to tell its tales. Over the centuries, the legend of Cui Po Well has evolved through retelling and artistic embellishment, resulting in many versions. Cui Po has been portrayed in various ways—as greedy, repentant, or grateful. Today, let’s share the story of a repentant Cui Po who sold wine: During the Song Dynasty, at the foot of Hefu Mountain, Cui Po ran a small tavern, making a living by selling wine. A Taoist priest named Zhang Xubai wandered into the area and visited her tavern daily to drink wine, never paying and never tiring of it over the years. One day, as they ate and drank together, Zhang struck up a casual conversation and asked Cui Po if she had any difficulties. She replied, “I’m old now, and the place where I draw water to brew wine is too far away—it’s very inconvenient.” Zhang Xubai drew a circle on the ground behind the house and said that treasures would emerge by midnight. Following his instructions, Cui Po asked her neighbors to dig a well overnight. At midnight, she smelled the aroma of wine. Approaching the well, she scooped some up and tasted it—pure, rich, and endlessly refreshing—an exquisite vintage. From then on, Cui Po stopped brewing wine the hard way and simply drew “water” from the well to sell. Her tavern’s business flourished, and her income multiplied. But as her wealth grew, so did her greed. One day, when Zhang Xubai passed by again, he saw that Cui Po’s humble shack had become a spacious tile-roofed house, and her clothes had transformed from coarse rags to silk and satin. Pointing to the well, he asked, “Is the wine selling well?” Cui Po replied, “The wine is fine, but there’s no leftover mash to feed the pigs.” Unable to hold back a sigh, Zhang picked up a brush and wrote four lines of poetry on the wall: “The sky may be high, but not as high as man’s greed. / The well water is sold as wine, yet still they complain of no swill.” After writing, he strode away. Strangely enough, from that day on, the well no longer produced fragrant, delicious wine but only bland, tasteless water. Feeling ashamed, Cui Po had a large, deep well dug and allowed anyone—people or horses—to draw water freely, never obstructing them. After her death, people built a temple in her honor to express their gratitude. A couplet was hung on the temple gate: “Though her wealth was little, her virtue was great; though her feelings ran deep, she held money light.”

This legend of Cui Po Well magically transforms wine-brewing into selling well water as wine. It retains the theme of reaping what you sow while satirizing human greed. With its moral lessons, it has been deeply loved by the people. The story of Cui Po Well was adapted by the famous Ming Dynasty writer Jiang Yingke, a native of Taoyuan, into a didactic novel titled “High Aspirations,” which warns against greed.

Cui Po Well is not only rich in history and mythology but also steeped in profound humanistic culture.

In the legend of Cui Po Well, the Taoist priest “Zhang Xubai” remains something of a mystery. The Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Bai wrote a poem titled “To the Tavern-owning Lady Cui”: “The wine of Lady Cui in Wuling Town / Surpasses heaven in taste, they say. / A wandering Taoist drank a whole dou, / Then lay down by a cave in the clouds.” This poem bears similarities to the verse Zhang Xubai gave to Cui Po. According to the Ming Dynasty’s “Orthodox Taoist Canon,” it is recorded: “Zhang Bai, also called Xubai, styled himself Master of White Clouds, and was a native of Qinghe (modern-day Hebei)... He failed the imperial examinations twice... and then took up asceticism, abstaining from grains to nourish his qi and spirit. In the Kaibao era of Emperor Taizu of Song, he traveled south to Wuling and often visited the wine shop of the Cui family...” Since Zhang Bai lived during the late Tang and early Song periods, some scholars believe he and Zhang Xubai are the same person. If so, then “To the Tavern-owning Lady Cui” infuses the poetry of the “Complete Tang Poems” with the fragrance of Cui Po’s wine.

Wine has long been the catalyst that inspires poetic passion among literati. Cui Po Well wine was favored by poets, leading to works like “Poem on Cui Po Immortal Well” by Chen Hongmo, a native of Wuling and Vice Minister of War in the Ming Dynasty: “My district abounds in immortal traces, / But the tale of Cui Po is stranger still... / In recent years plagued by hardship, / When can we drink and be merry?” Zhang Xubai’s adapted poetry greatly glorified the fine wine of Cui Po Well, while Chen Hongmo’s poem added a touch of charm. Ying Liping, who served as Prefect of Changde during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, also wrote “Cui Po Immortal Well.” His friend He Qi was moved to compose: “Don’t blame Zhang Xubai for his cunning, / Nor Cui Po for her clever trick. / She traded wine for drunken joy by the Wuling stream, / And gained a wealth of spring water from Hefu. / For a thousand years, stone tablets bear the mark, / While the ancient well is wreathed in vines. / Had the wandering Qu Yuan been here, / He’d surely praise its uniqueness.” “For a thousand years, stone tablets bear the mark”—the eight-foot stele standing by Cui Po Well is inscribed with the words “Cui Po Immortal Well.” Legend says it was written by Zhao Mengfu, the eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu of Song and a renowned calligrapher of the Yuan Dynasty, who composed it in a drunken stupor after drinking Cui Po Well wine. His flowing, divine brushwork made the wine of Cui Po Immortal Well legendary, its fragrance lingering for centuries.

The waters of Cui Po Well have flowed for centuries—from “what heaven lacks is found on earth” to the present day. The well has brewed fine wine, history, and culture, all of which continue to this day. Around Cui Po Well, locals, merchants, scholars, and poets come and go, creating a lively scene. The virtues of kindness and goodwill embodied by Cui Po ensure that her well forever shines with a magical glow.

Ancient Wells of Changde Urban Area

Four-Eyes Well of Changde

Luffa Well

Sunflower Well

White Dragon Well