The First Pioneering Well

The First Pioneering Well

Introduction In order to realize the vision of developing the new city of Shihezi, in August 1950, the Corps established a survey team of over 30 members from the 22nd Corps. The team was composed of engineering technicians and soldiers, and in late August they set out for Shihezi to begin sampling and surveying. The team members were divided into three groups: two well-drilling teams, which drilled wells simultaneously at different locations; and one logistics team, responsible for the daily life of all survey members. Amid the vast barren land strewn with cobblestones, the team had only simple iron shovels at their disposal, yet they began the arduous task of digging wells.

They first selected two excavation points, No. 1 and No. 2, along the northeast and southwest diagonal lines of Shihezi, then discussed how to dig the wells. Eventually, they decided to build their own “excavator.” They bought six discarded utility poles from the post office in Suilai County (now Manas County), custom-made two elm wood pulley hooks, cut elm branches to weave baskets, purchased two thick ropes, and divided these materials into two parts for installation at the No. 1 and No. 2 excavation sites. Three utility poles were erected to form a large triangular frame, beneath which a pulley was hung. A well rope about 20 meters long was attached to the pulley, with a hook tied to one end of the rope to hold the soil basket. Wooden planks were laid at the wellhead, and thus, a makeshift “excavator” began operation. In just ten days, water flowed from No. 1 well.

Today, visitors can still see this First Pioneering Well while strolling along the forest path southeast of the leisure plaza, located 200 meters south of the Shihezi Science and Technology Museum. The well has a diameter of about 3 meters and a depth of 18–20 meters, with groundwater flowing from the southeast to the northwest. Since the purpose of digging this well was solely to detect whether there was underground water in Shihezi, it was never utilized or reinforced, and was soon filled in with earth. In 1992, the People’s Government of Shihezi City decided to restore and protect it as a cultural heritage site.

Shihezi, Xinjiang