The Finest Spring in the South

The Finest Spring in the South

The Finest Spring in the South is located in Shisuo Village, Bashi Town, Dongfang City, Hainan Province. With a history of nearly 2,000 years, the village name dates back to the 19th year of the Jianwu era (43 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty. After General Ma Yuan of the Fubo Command led troops southward to pacify Jiaozhi, his forces crossed the sea to Hainan to guard the southern border, and this area was the encampment of the tenth garrison unit. Stationed near the sea, the soldiers suffered from a lack of wells for water. General Ma Yuan organized his soldiers to dig a spring at the “Flying Temple” near the village. The water was sweet and never ran dry, earning it the reputation as the “Finest Sweet Spring of Ganen.” To this day, villagers in Shisuo still customarily draw water from the well in the early morning for drinking. Beside the well is embedded a stele inscribed with “The Well of Han Dynasty’s General Ma Fubo,” erected in the 26th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1761 AD). In 1961, the modern literary master Guo Moruo visited and researched the site, then composed a praising poem: “The spring water is clear and cool, unlike rivers and streams; the ancient well still speaks of General Ma Fubo. One can imagine how, in those days when troops were stationed, soldiers drew water from it as swiftly as shuttles in the morning.”

　 The “Han Dynasty’s Ma Fubo Well” has been listed as a key cultural relic under the protection of the Dongfang Municipal People's Government.

Admission

Adult ticket: 15 RMB

Child ticket: 8 RMB

Other discounts: Free entry for children under 1.1 meters; free entry for seniors with senior ID cards; half-price for students; free entry for active-duty military personnel

Transportation

Transport to and from the island is mainly by air and sea, while transportation within the island is primarily by road and rail.

Railway:

The Sanya–Dongfang–Changjiang railway line has been fully opened. The train ferry connecting the Qiongzhou Strait has also been put into service.

Road:

Transportation on the island is mainly by road. Three national highways — 223, 224, and 225 — run north to south across the island. The main routes lead directly to various ports, cities, and counties, with branch lines extending to over 200 towns and all major tourist attractions on the island. The island-wide expressway has been completed and opened to traffic.

Civil Aviation:

Haikou Meilan and Sanya Phoenix International Airports offer flights to over 40 major and medium-sized domestic cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, as well as to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.