Well, that's a relief!

On an early winter day, at the site of the completion of the well-drilling project in Nanling village, Yicheng county, Shanxi province, a clear spring gushed from a 403-meter-deep underground well.

On Nov 20, a completion ceremony was held at the site, with villagers lining up to collect water, knowing that, from this day forward, the century-old "dry well village" has its own deep water well.

There are a total of 245 households and 786 people in Nanling village, which is situated on the Zhongtiao Mountain. Here, ravines and gullies crisscross 10 natural villages. Historically, Nanling village was infamous for its drought problem. Dredging of dry wells had become a necessity for the villagers' survival. Dry wells are generally selected in low-lying areas and are dug for about 10 meters, but do not produce water. They are mainly used to store rainwater collected in summer and snow water in winter for both human and livestock use. There is a saying in the local area that "water is more expensive than oil in Nanling", and it has long been the wish of the villagers to enjoy unfettered access to deep well water.