Dongpo Well

Dongpo Well

Dongpo Well is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Dongpo Well is located on Baihe Peak in the eastern part of Huizhou City. The well opening is 0.6 meters wide and 14.5 meters deep. Its walls are built with blue bricks, giving it a simple and ancient appearance. Next to the well is a well curb, and there stands a stone inscription carved in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1750), bearing the two characters "Bīng Tuān" (meaning "Ice Torrent") written by the famous scholar Guan Huai. It is an important historical site where Su Shi (also known as Dongpo), the great literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, resided in Huizhou, and it remains largely intact today. Historical records note that in the third year of the Shaosheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1096), Su Shi purchased several acres of land on Baihe Peak, "building twenty rooms with the plan to spend his final years there." The following year, Su Shi moved into his new residence. Due to the high elevation and distance from water sources, Su Shi hired workers to dig the well and even composed a poem about it: “Today my servants rejoice, the yellow earth can once again be molded. In the morning the bottles yield snow-like milk, in the evening the jars hold ice-cold torrents. Such has always been my life—how could it ever be easy? Even a single sip is a gift from heaven. With arms bent in rest, there is ample joy.”

On December 10, 2015, Dongpo Well was approved and announced by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province as part of the eighth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Su Shi (1037–1101), courtesy name Zizhan, also known by his art name Dongpo Jushi, was a native of Meishan in Meizhou (now part of Sichuan Province). His family had a strong literary tradition—his grandfather Su Xu loved reading and was skilled in poetry. His father, Su Xun, was a renowned classical prose writer who provided meticulous guidance to both Su Shi and his younger brother Su Zhe. Their mother, Lady Cheng, was knowledgeable and principled, and once told the young Su Shi the story of Fan Pang from the *Book of the Later Han · Biography of Fan Pang*, using the deeds of ancient virtuous individuals to inspire her son to uphold his integrity. By the time Su Shi was 21 and left Sichuan for the capital, his knowledge and cultivation were already quite advanced.

Su Shi was erudite and broad-minded in thought... More detailed information about Su Shi ++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units