Ancient Wells Cluster in Changde City Proper

Ancient Wells Cluster in Changde City Proper

Ancient Wells Cluster in Changde City Proper (including Four-Eyed Well, Luffa Well, Sunflower Well, White Dragon Well, and Granny Cui Well)

As one of the provincial-level protected ancient wells in Changde City, Sunflower Well is the only surviving original structure from the Ming Dynasty’s Prince Rong’s Mansion, located in a corner of Changde No. 1 Middle School. Legend says that sunflowers often appeared in the well; when scooped with a ladle, the ladle would have sunflowers in it, and when water was poured into a bucket, the bucket would carry the flowers. In the fourth year of the Hongzhi era (1491) during the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youchu was granted the title of Prince of Rong by Emperor Xiaozong and given Changde Prefecture as his fief. In August of the same year, Wuling in Changde was ordered to construct the Prince of Rong’s Mansion, but Zhu Youchu did not proceed to take up his fief in Changde and remained in the capital at the political center. In the third year of the Zhengde era (1508), under imperial pressure, Zhu Youchu left the capital and went to Changde to assume his title. It was not until October of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen era (1643) that the rebel army led by Zhang Xianzhong captured Changde, and the Prince of Rong’s Mansion, symbol of feudal royalty, met its fate. The grandeur of the mansion faded away, and the last master of the Prince of Rong’s Mansion, Zhu Cizhao, fled in panic with his mother, never to be seen again.

Sunflower Well has witnessed 135 years of the rise and fall of the Prince of Rong’s Mansion, preserved countless beautiful childhood memories of ordinary families, and engraved the historical trajectory of Changde’s progress. The surroundings of the ancient well have now been beautified, the top of the well wall has been newly built with sunflower leaf patterns, stone railings have been added, inscribed with the well’s name in seal script, and the railings are carved with blooming sunflowers. Four stone lions have also been placed at the four corners of the well’s railing.

White Dragon Well is located at the southern entrance of Chongfeng Valley. It is said that Bai Cheng, the nephew of Xie Gong, once lived here. Every March, the White Dragon would ride the wind and bring rain on his way back to visit Xie Gong. This historic site, the White Dragon Well, has clear water that does not dry up even in severe droughts. Around the Qingming Festival each year, the White Dragon stirs the wind and spreads the rain, flying to the Xie Gong Temple at the summit of Huangshan Mountain to wash the dust off the golden statue of his uncle, Xie Gong. By the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, a well was built over the spring, over 10 meters deep, with a stone coin placed at the bottom. The brick-lined well remains to this day.

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

Changde Four-Eyed Well

Granny Cui Well

Luffa Well

Sunflower Well

White Dragon Well