Baguashan Red Hair Well 八卦山紅毛井

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Baguashan Red Hair Well is one of the few surviving wells from the Dutch rule of Taiwan. It was an important place to get fresh water in the region and was used as a communal washing area for many local residents. Now it stands as a cultural heritage site for the citizens of Changhua.

Background:
​Because Changhua does not contain many fresh and clean sources of water, a well was made to tap into the Zhuokou River water table. The Red Hair Well was made around 1611 by Dutch colonizers and was often used by Dutch soldiers and missionaries, therefore it was called "Red Hair Well" by the local people. Later a small shrine was made here, and it became a popular spot for local women to make a living washing clothes, due to the good quality clean water here. Even though not many people wash clothes here anymore, if the water is cut off due to natural disasters, you will find many women come to wash clothes here instead. 
Later a metal lid was put over the well to stop children and leaves from falling in. 
In 2008, the well was made a historical monument. 

Price:
Free

Hours: 
24/7

Accommodation:
We have stayed at and recommend Guide Hotel Changhua Jhongjheng, which is one of our favorite hotels in all of Taiwan, with great quality and service right in downtown Changhua. (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here)
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. 

Tours: 
Tours and activities in Changhua include Magical Mushrooms Leisure Farm, Cheng Mei Cultural Park, Changhua Love Farm, Gushengwu Paleontology Park, Taiwan You Good School of Cookie, Baiguoshan Amusement Park, Yunhe Starry Sky View Restaruant , Tianzhong, Yakuta Experience , Qingshui Hot Spring Glamping, Fruit Picking , Tonight Star Leisure Farm, Tianweiwang Scenic Spot, and more. 
You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here. 

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

How to get there:
By car/scooter: Take provincial highway 1 to Changhua. The well is at the bottom of Bagua Mountain. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. 
Looking for scooter rental in Changhua? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
By Train: You can reach here by foot within 10 minutes of Changhua TRA station. You can book tickets to travel to Changhua via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Changhua via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. ​

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:
​​
We have been to the Red Hair Well once. It is a nice place to enjoy the history of Taiwan. Usually when one thinks of the Dutch occupation of Taiwan, they only think of Tainan. It is interesting to know there are Dutch artifacts in Taiwan this far north, and that the well they made is still in use. 

The Changhua Confucius Temple is just down the street from this well.

Also, the Japanese era Art Museum is just across the street. 

People are warned not to drink the water here to preserve the water quality. Water here is still used by the Taiwan's Water Company. 

Here there is a covering where people can wash there clothes. 

There was a homeless man here washing some article of clothing. 

Illegible signage. 

Getting closer to the well, they were burning something in the furnace to the left. 

Closer look at the well. You can still pump water here. 

Behind the well on the hill here lies a cemetery. 

You can also check out this blog about Red Hair Well from Spectral Codex. 

Fountain of Youth 不老泉

Another place I wanted to visit was the fountain of youth, but it was closed.

This water treatment facility was built by the Japanese in 1907 and is only open on weekdays from 8AM - 5PM.

Another view of the fountain of youth. I will visit it again someday.

You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our full guide to Changhua here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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