Hang Li Poh's Well, Historical water well in Malacca City, Malaysia.
Hang Li Poh's Well is a cylindrical well built of laterite stone and red brick, with a rim slightly above ground level, surrounded by old stone walls and stone steps at the foot of Bukit Cina. The Dutch enclosed it with solid brick walls in 1677.
The well was dug in 1459 by the roughly 500 attendants who came to Malacca with Hang Li Po, a Chinese princess married to Sultan Mansur Shah, and it served Bukit Cina as its main water source for centuries. The Portuguese took it over after capturing Malacca in 1511, and the Dutch enclosed it in brick walls after 1677. British rule left it neglected and out of repair.
Local belief holds that drinking the well's water grants lasting love and loyalty, echoing the marriage of Sultan Mansur Shah and Hang Li Po. The well is also treated as a wishing well, and it forms part of Melaka's UNESCO World Heritage listing since 2008.
The well stands at the foot of Bukit Cina, marked by an official signboard and enclosed by a protective fence; stone steps and old walls lie around it. The water is no longer clean, so visitors treat it as a wishing well rather than a drinking source. The site is managed by PERZIM as part of Melaka's historical tourism route.
The well maintained a constant water level even during dry seasons, making it different from other sources in Malacca. This reliable quality made it a valued resource for many generations of residents.
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