Zhuotong Small Well

Zhuotong Small Well

Zhuotong Small Well is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Name: Zhuotong Small Well

Era: Song Dynasty

Address: One kilometer east of Zhuotongjing Town, Daying County, Suining City, Sichuan Province

Zhuotong Small Well is located one kilometer east of Zhuotongjing Town in Daying County, Sichuan Province. It is a remarkable invention from the Qingli era (1041–1048) of the Northern Song Dynasty. “Drilling into the earth and inserting bamboo tubes creates the Zhuotong Well.” It is a drilling technique that uses a derrick frame fitted with an iron ring-bladed bit to impact-drill small-diameter salt wells deep underground. This drilling technology not only greatly improved the efficiency of well salt production, but more importantly, during the extraction of brine, humans discovered deeply buried oil and gas resources underground, thus opening an entirely new page in the world’s energy revolution.

Today, Zhuotong Small Well consists of nine burners and 41 wells, distributed across seven villages in Zhuotongjing Town. The Dashaun Burner site is now a key protected area. The Dashaun Burner includes three wells, one salt-drying dam, one brine (water) drying rack, one tube wheel, several flower wheels and ram’s horn carts, three measuring vats, two large flat salt pans, four brine storage barrels, 118 pieces of production tools, one burner house, and one salt worker residence.

Zhuotong Small Well is of historical, scientific, and unique significance. It is recorded in The History of Science and Technology in China, The History of China's Well Salt Technology, and The History of China's Drilling Technology. It is considered the father of modern petroleum drilling and can be called the “Fifth Great Invention” of ancient China.

Zhuotong Well is an ancient site featuring salt wells where thick bamboo tubes were inserted down the shaft to extract brine. It is a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit. Located in Zhuotongjing Town, Daying County, Suining City, the Zhuotong Small Well was first created during the Qingli era (1041–1048) of the Northern Song Dynasty. Its well-drilling technology predates Western methods by around 700–800 years, and it has been hailed as the “Father of Modern Petroleum Drilling in the World.” During the Republican era, there were 108 burners and 1,711 wells in Daying Township, producing over 4,000 tons of salt annually, with a dedicated Salt Affairs Office. To this day, 9 burners and 41 wells remain. The entire process of well drilling, brine extraction, and salt boiling largely retains the characteristics of the Song Dynasty Zhuotong Wells, making it of great value for studying the history of China’s salt wells and drilling techniques.

1. Dashaun Burner (including the brine-drying dam)

Protected Area: East bounded by the roadside ditch along the road from Daying to Huabeiwan Village; south adjacent to the small road from Daying to Huabeiwan Village; west front bordered by 1 meter outside the wall of the salt works near the residence of Mo Huizhi; rear bordered by 2.5 meters outside the edge of the brine-drying dam; north bordered by 11 meters outside the edge of the brine-drying dam ditch.

2. Eighteen Zhuotong Wells

Protected Area: Extending 4 meters outward from the center of the mouth of each well. Total area: 3,859 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 200 meters outward from the boundaries of Guanchang Village, Qingmu Village, and Kuaihuolin Village.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units