Although he is over 90 years old, Mr. Ban's appearance and demeanor are still the same as the Quan Ho sisters of old. Mr. Ban cannot remember how many times he has stood in this sacred place with the brothers and sisters singing Quan Ho songs. Chewing betel nut, he proudly talks about his village: "The elders have long passed down that thanks to drinking water from Ngoc well, the people of Diem village have better singing voices, clear and sparkling eyes, and rosy white skin." The story about the sacred temple and ancient well told by Mr. Ban is tinged with the color of a fairy tale.

No one knows when the well was built, but the oldest people in the village said that it had been there since their ancestors. Mr. Ban mumbled and told an ancient story: Legend has it that long ago, at the foot of Kim Linh and Kim Son mountains, there was an ancient lim forest. Birds came here to roost in large numbers, including crows that foraged for food and then flew off to find water to drink. They saw a deep pool of water and came back to drink, preening their wings. After the lim forest was almost completely cut down, people discovered the pool of water, scooped up a handful of water to drink and found it sweet and cool. Later, the people of Diem village told each other to dig a deep well. Generation after generation, they drank from the same sweet stream of the village well.

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Many tourists visit Ngoc well and Cung temple during the spring festival.

It seems that the water in the well is clear and has a jade-blue color. Perhaps that is why the well is called Ngoc. During the years of great drought, the well is still full, the water surface shimmering in the sky and clouds. Not sure if it is because of respect for the precious water source or not, but the people keep telling old legends, making the village well sacred and magical. In the well, there are 3 "divine fish" swimming around, but no one knows exactly when they appeared. Everyone in the village tells each other that the 3 "divine fish" are the incarnations of 2 princesses Ngoc Dung and Thuy Tien and a maid. Cung Temple is the place to worship the two princesses of the Ly dynasty who founded the village and passed on their profession to the people.

Our people believe that all things have spirit, so the well is also called a god well, and the goldfish is also called a whale. That is why the Ngoc well is cherished and treasured by the villagers, always kept clean. Before going down the 10 brick steps and 4 stone steps, one must take off their shoes. Each person only gently scoops up small cups to avoid polluting the water source.

On village festivals, people carry palanquins to scoop water into jars and offer it to the saints, praying for favorable weather and for the source water to flow forever. Visitors to the temple all want to bring home some of the sacred water to pray for good luck. Folklore has it that drinking water from Ngoc well makes the elderly healthier, the young stronger, and couples who are late in marriage will soon have children. Girls from Diem village wash their hair with Ngoc well water, making it shiny and smooth. Boys from Diem village boil water to make tea, making it fragrant, green, and sparkling. That is why people still praise: "Ngoc well water, Tan Cuong tea/ Like Kim Trong, the charming Thuy Kieu".

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/ngay-xuan-van-canh-gieng-ngoc-den-cung-764451