(VOVworld) The village banyan tree, water well, and communal house yard have become common symbols of a Vietnamese rural village. A village well not only provides water for the villagers’ daily use but is also a place where people can meet, chat or even flirt. Although many Vietnamese villages now have water piped into each home, the village well maintains its important role in the local people’s social life.

An ancient well. Photo internet

If the pagoda represents Buddha and the banyan tree represents the Protective Genie of the village, the water well represents the village’s sources of vitality. In Vietnamese rural areas, water wells in different shapes have different meanings. A square well represents Mother Earth and its water is considered the mother’s breast milk that helps her children grow. A round well represents the sun, while an oval well resembles a mirror, reflecting the peaceful daily life of the village. Folklore researcher Tran Minh Phuong said: "There remain relics of ancient wells in the northern plain and Doai regions, especially in Hanoi’s Dan Phuong and Hoai Duc districts where ancient wells are still being used in daily life. They were often built of earth, stone or laterite brick in various sizes and shapes. The ancient wells are even more sacred when they are situated in front of pagodas, temples, or and royal tombs."
Wells have always figured in legends, folklore, and mystery stories. On top of Trau Son mountain in Bac Ninh province sits a stone well called “Viet well”. This well has always been considered a symbol of “yin” and its water represents eternal life. Most ancient wells were built in accordance with feng-shui principles. Hanoi folklore researcher Nguyen Tao elaborates: "We can take Giac Hai pagoda on the Nhue riverside as a typical example of an ancient well. The pagoda was built in the shape of a dragon. During its construction, people dug two wells to make them the eyes of the dragon. These wells are called the Diamond Wells and are connected to the Nhue River. Every month, people draw water from these wells and dedicate it to Buddha, the Genies, and the ancestors. The wells are inseparable from the local people’s spiritual life."
Rural water wells have been a part of rural people’s lives for thousands of years and have become an eternal symbol of rural Vietnam.

To Tuan