Stone Dog Well - the beauty of a village in the middle of the city

People of Do Nha residential group (An Duong ward) joined hands to contribute funds and labor to restore Cho Da well - the old village well.

Stone Dog Well after restoration.

Do Nha residential group today used to be Do Nha cultural village, Tan Tien commune, An Duong district before converting the administrative unit from district to district and arranging commune-level administrative units in the period 2023 - 2025. The ancient well of Do Nha residential group is located in the complex of historical and cultural relics of Do Nha communal house and pagoda, ranked as a national relic in 2007.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuan, Head of Do Nha Residential Group, said that it is difficult to determine the age of the village well, only knowing that many generations of Do Nha villagers were born and raised in the well. According to legend, when people came here to reclaim land and open the hamlet, they discovered an underground stream gushing to the surface of the ground, so people dug a large well to get water for daily life. In particular, on the bank of the well, people placed a family of stone dogs to watch over and guard the land, so it is often called the Stone Dog Well.

Through the ups and downs of history and the fierceness of two wars, the strong impacts of urbanization, the well was filled in, trees grew wildly, and the stone dog family statue was also lost.

Cultural activities were held on the well inauguration day.

Wells are not simply irrigation works but also sacred sources that connect people with people, connect people with land and heaven and earth. That is why, even though the village has become a city, even though well water is no longer used for daily activities... the Do Nha people always worry and want to restore the village well.

With the cooperation of all classes of people, on April 13, 2025, Do Nha residential group started to renovate the village well, expanding it on the old land with an area of ​​about 800 ^m2 , located in the middle of a crowded and bustling residential area and close to Nga market street.

After restoration, the Stone Dog Well is not only a landscape highlight, but also becomes a community living space for the residential group.

Up to now, after nearly 5 months of construction, the project has been completed. After restoration, the well has a circular structure, 25m in diameter, 1.2m deep water level, the surrounding wall is reinforced with solid stone; around the mouth of the well, a green stone railing is created, including 68 pillars and 69 frames with corresponding sizes. In the center of the well, a fountain is created, made of purple quartz, decorated with clusters of lotus flowers blooming on the water surface... Overall, the fountain looks like a three-tiered flower rising above the water surface, blooming and showing off its beauty in the middle of the village well.

The landscape and well grounds have also been renovated to be spacious and clean with wide paths, lighting systems, stone benches and flower beds with lush green trees. On the bank of the well, people have restored the statue of a family of stone dogs solemnly guarding the well as before. The four corners are planted with banyan trees, bodhi trees and bodhi trees - symbols of stability, always bringing new energy to people.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thuan shared that the well was restored and embellished with a value of more than 1.685 billion VND, in which the people contributed nearly 180 million VND and hundreds of working days, along with the support of agencies, businesses, and philanthropists. During the restoration process, all classes of people in the residential group actively participated in supporting, from the elderly, middle-aged to young people... This is not only effort and money, but also the crystallization of solidarity and consensus of the people in the residential group. Also to preserve and promote the cultural value of the project, the residential group established a self-management group of 7 members.

Every evening, especially on weekends, many people come to Cho Da well to participate in activities in the area.

In the middle of a bustling and vibrant city, after being renovated, the Stone Dog Well creates a fresh image but still retains its rustic and familiar features. For more than a month now, since the well was basically completed, every evening, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, people gather here to participate in cultural and artistic activities or simply to meet, exchange and chat. When seeing the scene of people gathering in the well area, everyone feels happy and warm, because the cultural values ​​of the village are still preserved and promoted.

Mr. Do Van Tam, a resident of the residential group, shared: "The restored well reminds everyone, especially our young generation, of the historical tradition as well as the responsibility to preserve and promote the cultural values ​​of the village."

No matter how modern the homeland is, it cannot lose the cultural beauty that has existed for generations. The restoration of the village well of Do Nha residential group contributes to connecting the past, present and future, and is a vivid visual image to educate the tradition for future generations. This is also a practical activity to implement the Resolution of the 9th Central Committee, Session 11, on "building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity".

MINH CHAM

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/gieng-cho-da-net-dep-cua-lang-giua-pho-thi-519627.html