Red Hair Well Introduction
The Historical Track - Hongmao Well was dug by the Dutch three hundred years ago, hence its name "Lan Well." It is also called "Hongmao Well" because of the Dutch who had red hair. In 1636, during the ninth year of the Ming Chongzhen Emperor, shortly after the Dutch East India Company subdued the Zhuoluo Mountain people, they stationed civil servants and priests near the county office during the Qing Dynasty to collect taxes from the plain indigenous and Han people in the Zhuoluo Mountain area and to spread Christianity among the indigenous people. Consequently, they dug this well as a water source for daily life. During the Zheng period, General Wu Zhiwu was stationed at Zhuoluo Mountain and set up camp to the north of this well, where he renovated it. There are no records of renovations after the Qing Dynasty. In the 27th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, Wei Keyu, the county magistrate of Zhuoluo, praised the well for having delicious water, claiming it was the best in the entire Zhuoluo Mountain area, and listed "Lan Well Spring" as one of the Eight Sights of Zhuoluo. Before the end of the Qing Dynasty, Xu Deqin, a Jinshi from Chiayi, praised the well water saying, "It cleanses worries better than the best jade wine, its sweetness surpasses that of fine nectar. When brewing tea, it is best stored in a silver kettle; who could fetch it measures like snow water?" It became renowned throughout Chiayi. Historical records state: "Hongmao Well is located to the left of the county office. It was opened by the Dutch, hence the name. It measures six feet square and is about twenty feet deep, with purer water than other wells; it is said that people who drink from this well do not contract epidemics. During the Zheng period, there was Wu Zhiwu stationed here who renovated it." "Lan Well Spring" was once listed as one of the Eight Sights of Zhuoluo. Before the 74th year of the Republic of China, the Ministry of the Interior temporarily designated this site as a third-level historic site for preservation, but during the evaluation, due to the dirty environment around the well and the railing being a new installation from the 59th year, it was removed from the list of historic sites. Nevertheless, Hongmao Well remains the oldest historic site in Chiayi City.
