Red Hair Well Introduction
Historical trajectory - The Red-Haired Well This well was dug by the Dutch three hundred years ago, hence called the "Dutch Well" (蘭井). Due to the red hair of the Dutch settlers, it is also referred to as the "Red-Haired Well." In 1636 AD, during the ninth year of the Ming Dynasty's Chongzhen reign, after the Dutch East India Company subdued the Zhuluo Mountain settlement, they stationed officials and ministers at the county office after the Qing Dynasty established its rule to collect taxes from the local Pingpu people and Han settlers in the Zhuluo Mountain area and to spread Christianity among the indigenous people. They dug this well to serve as a water source for daily life. During the Zheng period, General Wu Zhiwu was stationed at Zhuluo Mountain, set up camp north of this well, and renovated it. There are no records of further renovations after the Qing rule. In the 27th year of the Qianlong reign, the Zhuluo county magistrate Wei Keyu praised the well for its sweet water, claiming it to be the best in all of Zhuluo Mountain, listing "Dutch Well Spring" as one of the eight scenic spots of Zhuluo. During the late Qing period, the Jinshi Xu Deqin from Chiayi praised the water from this well: "Purely cleansing the mind like jade wine, sweet to the tongue surpassing jade nectar; suitable for tea brewing, stored in a silver pot. Who draws water from this well with a snowy measure?" Literature records: "The Red-Haired Well is located to the left of the county office. It was opened by the Dutch and is named accordingly. It is six feet wide and about twenty feet deep, the spring water is clear and sweet compared to other wells. It is said that residents drinking from this well do not suffer from epidemic diseases. During the Zheng period, a person named Wu Zhiwu was stationed here and renovated it." The "Dutch Well Spring" was once listed as one of the eight scenic spots of Zhuluo. In the 74th year of the Republic of China, before the evaluation of historical sites by the Ministry of the Interior, this place was temporarily classified as a third-level historical site for preservation. During the evaluation, due to the dirty environment around the well and the well's railing being a newly constructed one from 1959, it was removed from the historical site list. Nevertheless, the Red-Haired Well remains the oldest historical monument in Chiayi City.
