There are more than 70 wells in the Forbidden City, why does no one dare to drink the water inside?

Mondo Culture Updated on 2024-01-29

The reason why the well water inside the Forbidden City is not drunk is due to multiple internal and external reasons. First of all, the internal reason is that there are many safety hazards in the Forbidden City. Historically, there have been power struggles, intrigues, and other events within the palace. Especially in the harem, it is not uncommon for many concubines to compete for favor, openly and secretly, and it is not uncommon for people to be unable to get pregnant if they are drugged in well water. In addition, the well water may be contaminated with other factors, such as suicide or homicide. It is rumored that the "Zhenfei Well" in the Forbidden City is the place where Concubine Zhen, the favorite concubine of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, was ordered by Cixi to be thrown into the well and drowned. In a small place like the Forbidden City, the groundwater is connected, who would dare to drink such water?

The external reasons are mainly due to Beijing's water quality problems. Beijing has long been known as the "Bitter Sea and Secluded State", and the groundwater quality is relatively hard. Nowadays, Beijingers generally do not drink tap water directly, but buy bottled water or mineral water. However, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, people did not have modern water purifiers, so they could only draw water from the local area. Therefore, people in the Forbidden City can only go to the spring of Yuquan Mountain to get water. Every day, the eunuchs drove the water wheel from Xizhimen to Yuquan Mountain to get water, so Xizhimen is also called "Water Gate". Yuquan Mountain is one of the "three mountains and five gardens" of the Qing Dynasty royal family, Emperor Qianlong was very fond of this place, and personally inscribed "the first spring in the world" five big characters. It also heightens questions about why there are so many wells in the Forbidden City.

In fact, the well water in the Forbidden City, although not drinkable, plays an important role in other ways. These wells are mainly used for cleaning work, including washing clothes, mopping floors, watering flowers, etc. In addition, well water is also used as a tool to extinguish fires. In ancient times, fires often broke out in the Forbidden City, and there was a lack of modern firefighting facilities. As a result, wells and tanks are set up everywhere in case of fire extinguishing.

This incident has attracted a certain amount of attention and discussion on the Internet. From the comments of netizens, it can be seen that many people are shocked by the safety hazards that exist inside the Forbidden City and are curious about the history and legends in the palace. Some have questioned why these wells have not been retrofitted or rehabilitated historically to ensure the safety of the well water. Some people also pointed out that the phenomenon of the Forbidden City not daring to use well water is not only limited to the quality of well water, but is more affected by historical constraints and cultural traditions.

For similar incidents, we can find some similar cases. For example, similar safety hazards exist in other cultural sites or palaces. Crypts and traps have been found in the pyramids of Egypt and the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome, and the purpose of these structures is mainly to protect and protect the treasures and powers of these places. These security risks also reflected the social turmoil and the brutality of the power struggle at the time.

The impact of this incident on society is mainly to arouse people's attention to the internal security of the Forbidden City. Many people expressed concern about the brutality of the power struggles in the palace and the problems of harem life. At the same time, the event also aroused people's interest and curiosity about ancient cultural traditions and historical stories.

It is unclear whether there is an update on whether there is a safety issue with the well water inside the Forbidden City. However, this incident reminds us that historical and cultural sites are not just beautiful buildings and works of art, but also have complex and brutal historical stories hidden behind them. We should pay attention to and protect these precious cultural heritages, and at the same time, we should pay attention to the safety issues in them, and provide better protection and management for them.

The reason why the well water inside the Forbidden City is not drunk by people has both internal and external factors. The internal reasons are mainly the need for laundry, cleaning, and fire extinguishing, as well as the existence of power struggles and safety hazards such as harems. The external reasons are mainly Beijing's water quality problems and the limitations of ancient water extraction methods. Although the well water is not drinkable, the incident has raised concerns about the safety of the Forbidden City and prompted people to pay more attention to the protection and management of historical and cultural heritage. The latest developments are not yet known, but we should continue to monitor the Forbidden City and other similar issues and provide them with better solutions. Do you think it's a problem that the well water inside the Forbidden City is not drunk by people?What do you think can be done to improve the situation?

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