Happy Dragon Boat Festival! Every year on this festival, long lines form at a 300-year-old well next to Beigang's Chaotien Temple due to the folk tradition of fetching noon water that wards off evil. Temple officials say the well's source of water has been abundant for over three centuries and the water is clean and sweet. The well is normally kept sealed and is only opened on the Dragon Boat Festival.


At noon, people are filling barrels and bottles with well water. It is a Dragon Boat Festival tradition to fetch water at noon to ward off evil. This 300-year-old well next to Beigang's Chaotien Temple is usually sealed and is only open to the public on the Dragon Boat Festival.

I've been making the trip since I was a kid. We all grew up in Beigang, so we are all familiar with Beigang's the "fetching well water at noon" tradition.

This is good geography. On the Dragon Boat Festival, everyone can fetch water together. On all other days, we still allow anyone that comes to pray to (Matsu) go get water.

The owner of an eatery next to the temple says long queues form during the holiday every year. Temple officials, meanwhile, say there is a reason the well's water supply is so abundant and the water is so clear and sweet.

There's a well under the main hall called "Dragon Throat." The well on the right is "Dragon Eye" and the well to the left of the furnace is "Tiger Well." All three have long histories.

Temple staff say due to well water's reputation for warding off evil when collected at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, many people would take the water home to bathe children who had suffered a scare or to boil and drink. To this day, many people collect water at the well and take it home to give to their family and friends.



午時一到，民眾拿著水桶、寶特瓶排隊來取水，因為民間習俗端午節取午時水，可以驅邪轉運，位在雲林北港朝天宮旁，就有一口龍井已有300多年，平時都加蓋封閉，只有端午節這天會開放民眾取水。

雲林民眾表示：「從小就會過來，我們都在北港長大，都知道北港這邊龍井，取午時水的習俗。」

小吃店老闆 王清坡表示：「這算是好地理，一般端午節，正常大家可以一起取水，平常日只要有去求聖母娘娘，我們還是照樣會讓他們取水。」

因為這口「北港龍井」，位在朝天宮旁的一家小吃店裡，老闆王清坡說，每年端午節都吸引很多民眾取水，而廟方人原則說這口井水源充沛、清澈甘甜，過去是有典故的。

北港朝天宮文化組長 紀仁智表示：「我們媽祖正殿媽祖下面，有一口井，叫做龍喉，而右手邊龍井就是龍眼睛，金爐左手邊還有虎井，這三個井都歷史悠久。」

廟方人員就說，過去相傳只要民眾在端午節這天，來龍井取午時水，可以避邪轉運，許多民眾會帶回去，讓受驚嚇的小孩擦身體或煮井水來喝，希望能可鎮煞或帶來平安，所以很多人會來取午時水分送給親友。