Close-up of unique stone mosaic in the heart of a centuries-old ancient well in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - Existing for hundreds of years, Len well in Vinh Tuy village, Vinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district is not only a precious water source, but also an ancient well with unique architecture associated with ancient legends.
 |
| Vinh Tuy village is located next to Roc Cua lake, at the foot of Vinh Tuy cliff, is an ancient village with beautiful landscape and long-standing culture. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| According to Mr. Tran Long (93 years old), a local resident, Len well in Vinh Tuy village was dug during the Tran Dynasty to provide water for daily life of the villagers. The well was chosen by a good geomancer of the time. Beside the well are two ancient banyan trees that provide shade and are hundreds of years old. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| The unique feature in the construction architecture of this ancient well is the stonework in the well. The well is about 5m deep and the stones are laid from bottom to top in 3 different ways. The bottom of the well is also paved with a fairly flat layer of stone. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| From the bottom of the well to the ground level, the well bed is made of many layers of stone 0.15 - 0.2m thick. Inside these stone slabs are cut into arcs so that when put together, they form a circular well bed. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| At ground level, the well is made of 4 stone slabs about 0.2m thick, forming a square well. The well wall is a hexagonal cylinder made of 6 stone slabs about 0.8m high, with an inner edge 0.6m wide. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| Mr. Phan Van Hoan, a local resident, said that Len well not only provides water for households in the surrounding area but was also a source of water for military units in the past and now also provides water for kindergartens in the area. In the 1980s, Len well in Vinh Tuy village was renovated, the well wall, well base, well door were built higher... Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| After hundreds of years of existence, Len well in Vinh Tuy village is still a source of cool, sweet water, serving the daily life of people around the area. Previously, people came to get water by scooping buckets, but now families install pipes and suction heads into the well. In the summer, Len well water is clear and cool, so the elderly often have to add hot water to bathe. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| The special thing is that the well is not very deep, has many suction heads at the same time, but the water in the well has never dried up. Mr. Nguyen The Kien, who lives next to Len well, said that in years of drought, Dien Chau people used cars to carry plastic barrels here to pump water to sell. Because Len well has never dried up, it is difficult for villagers to examine the well. To protect the water source, in recent years, the mouth of the well has been covered with a corrugated iron lid with holes drilled in it. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
Next to the well, the village also erected a board under the old tree recording the rules of Len well in Vinh Tuy village, strictly prohibiting any activities that violate the relic. Locals still pass down many anecdotes and legends associated with Len well in Vinh Tuy village. Currently, Len well has degraded, local people are planning to restore it to preserve the precious water source, protecting an ancient relic of their homeland. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| About 100 meters to the northwest of Len well is a 30-meter-high phoenix-shaped rock outcrop rising into the blue sky. Folklore says this is a sacred rock outcrop of Vinh Tuy cliff. At the foot of the rock outcrop is the newly restored Van Son pagoda on the remains of Vinh Tuy village pagoda. Photo: Huy Thu |
 |
| About 200 meters south of Len well is Co Da temple - a relic with beautiful and sacred landscape in the area. Together with Vinh Tuy well, Len well, Roc Cua lake, Van Son pagoda, Trong cave... have created a unique complex of scenic relics, an attractive destination for tourists when visiting Vinh Thanh. Photo: Huy Thu |
