VietNamNet Bridge - About one kilometer from the coast are the two ancient wells that are the main sources of supply of water resources for drinking water for many generations of Thuan An villagers in Quang Nam province, central Vietnam. According to local residents, despite severe droughts in the region, the wells have never been dry.

The village has assigned Mrs. Le Thi Hong, 66 to sell water from the ancient wells and pay VND1 million/month to the local fund for building roads and preserving the ancient wells.

Villagers can use the water for free but those from other villages have to pay VND1,000 for 30l. Hong collects about VND50,000 ($2.5)/day.

Besides Hong, four other women specialize in carrying water from the ancient wells to other villages for sales, at VND10,000/30l ($0.5).

Ms. Le Thi Lanh, 86, said that the water is sweet. Using it for cooking or making tea will make the quality and the taste of the food much better. Villagers, therefore, consider the wells the treasures of their village and they only use the water for cooking and drinking. They use water from drilling wells for washing and bathing.

Some families who live near the ancient wells have tried to dig wells but the quality of water from these wells cannot compare with the water from the ancient well.

The two ancient wells have the same structure and they are approximately 500 meters from each other. The well mouths are about 2m wide and the well walls are paved with laterite. In the dry season, villagers usually dry them to clean.

Since 1934, the wells have been repaired four times.

"In the summer, hundreds of people queue for a kilometer to get water. Many people had to get up at midnight to go to the wells, hoping to be able to take a few tens of liters of drinking water," said Nguyen Huu Khoa, a village official.

About the origins of the wells, the village elders said the wells were there in 1403 when the Kinh people migrated to this area. It is said that the wells were dug by Cham people but the well structure is unlike other Cham wells.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam, Ho Xuan Tinh, said to date the origin of the wells have not been clarified.

Linh Nhat