The self-springing “dragon vein”

On a recent morning, Duy Linh, a 35-year-old resident of Cu Chi District, brought several plastic bottles to the Mach Nuoc Shrine in Thoi Tam Thon Commune, Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City.

After offering incense, she approached the spring in front of the shrine, washing her face, drinking directly from the water, and filling her bottles to take home.

She wasn’t alone; many other visitors were also collecting water, washing their faces, and drinking it, believing the spring to be sacred. Locals refer to it as a “dragon vein” that naturally springs from the earth.

According to Dang Van Chuyen, the head caretaker of the shrine, the water comes from an underground natural spring. The spring existed long before the shrine, and its origins date back hundreds of years.

“This area was once wild fields and grasslands, with a small spring forming a pond and canals leading to a river. The ancients built a thatched roof shrine here to honor Thuy Long Thanh Mau, the Holy Mother of Water Dragons,” Chuyen explained.

To keep the spring clean, people in the past constructed a pond to prevent soil and debris from contaminating the water. Today, the spring has been enclosed in a dragon-shaped reservoir with a conical metal mesh cover. Above the reservoir are plastic cups for visitors to collect water.

Water flows from the dragon’s mouth into a smaller, cleanly tiled pool where visitors gather it to drink or take home. Another larger, artificial pool nearby also features bubbling water from the natural spring.

“These springs have never run dry, even after hundreds of years,” Chuyen added.

A place of spiritual significance

For many years, Mach Nuoc Shrine has welcomed a steady flow of visitors who believe the water has spiritual properties that bring good luck and peace.

While the shrine used to attract larger crowds on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month, it now sees daily visitors from various provinces who come to offer incense, drink, and collect the water.

The shrine, which is shaded by lush greenery, features a tranquil setting and a main altar dedicated to Thuy Long Thanh Mau.

To ensure cleanliness, the shrine has posted guidelines stating that visitors should only use the water for drinking or washing their faces. Bathing, washing hands, or allowing children to play in the water is strictly prohibited.

Despite these rules, some visitors sprinkle water on their heads or bodies, believing it will wash away bad luck or help them recover from illness.

Caretaker Chuyen emphasized that the water is safe for consumption but advised visitors to boil it before drinking.

“People come not just from the local area but from provinces far away, bringing bottles and even arriving with cars to collect the water,” he said.

The local health center has tested the water and confirmed it is safe, though authorities still recommend boiling it before use.

Ha Nguyen