Four-Eyes Well

The Four-Eyes Well is situated in the northwest of Bell Tower Square, just a few meters away from the Bell Tower. It was constructed in the 10th year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1637 AD).

In fact, the Four-Eyes Well is a single well with an interior shaped like a Shaoxing wine jar. It is approximately seven meters deep, with a maximum middle diameter of around three meters. Four well openings are vaulted with blue bricks on the top of the well. People can draw water simultaneously from the four openings, hence the name Four-Eyes Well.

A four-cornered pavilion stands above the well. Its main roof ridge rises more than three chi, carved with auspicious patterns including phoenixes, bats and kylins. The four roof corners soar upward, each guarded by a Buddha statue. A crescent-shaped arched wall surrounds the pavilion, creating an elegant, tranquil and antique atmosphere.

The ingenious structure of the Four-Eyes Well has puzzled countless visitors. If you gaze quietly at the water surface, you will witness the magical scene of "one person reflected as five": your silhouette appears in all four well openings at once. If you let out a loud shout, thunderous echoes reverberate from deep within the well, resembling the roar of a male lion. At other times, you stand all alone, with only your shadow for company. The other three openings seem veiled in darkness, emanating a faint chill. If you sigh with regret, a dismal murmur echoes back to you.

What accounts for this phenomenon? When the water level rises above the brick vault, the arch ring divides the space, making the four openings function like four separate wells. Only one silhouette can be seen, and the echo sounds soft and muted. When the water level drops below the vault, though there is still just one reflection, it becomes visible through all four openings, creating an optical illusion of "one person reflected as five". Since all openings share the same well wall and interconnected arch ring, sound waves bounce and surge inside the well after entering, producing overlapping, resounding echoes.