They were water-vendors heading towards the West-gate Well, a 600-year-old well whose water is said to be second to none in the area.

After filling their carts with the refreshing water, the vendors started their business along the winding alleys around the town.

The sleepy town slowly rose to a new day of life as the vendors cried out for customers.

Most villagers have stuck to the custom of drinking well water even though tap water has been available there for many years.

Their passion for the 100 ancient wells scattered at every corner of the town hardly faded with the passing ages.

"The wells are like the source of life, which have cultivated the history and culture of this ancient town," said Zhang Zhigang, director of the Jianshui Tourist Bureau.

As a historic city, Jianshui, with a population of 20,000, retains a wealth of historic relics, such as the Confucian Temple, one of the largest in the country.

More and more tourists have flooded into the city. They are impressed by the intact and serene life of locals and, particularly, the charm of the ancient wells.

Few know the exact history of most of the wells. Some are more than 1,000 years old. The youngest is 100 years old.

Archaeologists say the wells might be a significant symbol of farm life. When people gave up the nomadic life and start to settle down as farmers, the first step generally was to dig wells.

According to the historic record, Jianshui was established during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Some wells are older.

As the city developed, the wells became increasingly involved in people's daily lives. The history of the wells reflects the city's ups and downs.

Like the villagers, the 100 ancient wells have their own names or nicknames. Each name conveys a different story.

Some of the wells were named according to their appearance. "Triplet Spring" includes three wells at the same spot; "Square Well" features a stone cube at the mouth.

More frequently, the wells were named for streets in the neighborhood, such as "East Well" in the town's east end and "West-gate Well" in the west end.

A number of wells have become tourist attractions in town, such as the "Dragon Well" in the northeastern corner of town.

The well was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when the central government sent troops to take over Jianshui.

During their stay, the soldiers who were mostly from southeastern China were so homesick that they named the well after a dragon, a typical name for wells in their hometown.

Mysterious water

The "Red Well" was built in the 15th century and is known for its mysterious water.

At first sight, one found the well water to be clear and blue, with the reflection of everything in the water also blue. When the water was drawn from the well, however, it turned light red and was therefore called "Red Well."

"Zhuge Well" was named in memory of Zhuge Liang, a well-known strategist during the Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280) who once led his troop to fight in Yunnan.

It is said that the well was once built inside a temple downtown. Unfortunately, everything in the temple, except the well, was destroyed in 1650.

Among these ancient wells, the most famous is West-gate Well, built in 1360.

The diameter of the well is more than 3 meters. The mouth of the well features sculptures of lotus. The design is simple but delicate.

According to historic records, during the early Ming Dynasty, West-gate Well was once the only water supply for the whole town, of which water never drained even in the drought season.

Even today, the well plays an important role in locals' lives.

Villagers prefer the well water to tap water. Of course, they have plenty of reasons for doing so: The water is sweet, refreshing, good for their health and perfect to make tea.

Those living in the neighborhood usually draw water everyday. But the people in distant villages have to rely on the water-vendors.

Uncle Liu is one of these vendors.

Water business

"The business has seen great development over the passing years," Liu said. Vendors used to carry the well water with shoulder poles and buckets, but now they have carts and trucks.

But the demand for the water remains great, Liu said.

Each day, he makes four or five trips between his village and the well, earning a profit of 50 yuan (US$6).

The popularity of West-gate Well also gives rise to the boom of teahouses in the town.

Two things could be found in every teahouse: shining copper teapots and the words "Water of West-gate Well Available" -- which, the locals believe, are the key elements for making good tea.

The high-quality well water also boosts production of bean curd -- a traditional industry of the town.

Bean curd workshops near the West-gate Well all have a history of more than a century.

"My family has carried on the bean curd business for many generations," said Tai Liqiong, boss of Tai Store and who has been engaged in the business for more than 20 years.

During the busy season, Tai's workshop has to make 70,000 to 80,000 pieces of bean curd a day. The market has expanded substantially to other cities like Kunming, Gejiu and Kaiyuan.

"It's the spring water that makes our bean curd superior to others," Tai said.

In ancient times, temples were always built around the wells to worship the Dragon King - the God of Rain in Chinese mythology. Locals used to hold a memorial ceremony in the hope of favorable weather and harvest.

Now all the temples have been toppled down, except the one on Yong'an Street.

Seventy-year-old Granny Cai has lived in the temple since she was three years old and is now the caretaker.

"It's really a blessing for us to have such great wells," Cai said.

Yet, the glory of these ancient wells has gone. Traces of history can only be found through the fading inscriptions on the stone tablets erected beside the wells.

(China Daily July 9, 2002)