A batch of Zhuhong wooden boats is produced. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]
The town of Zhuhong in Xinghua city – a county-level city administered by Taizhou, in East China's Jiangsu province – is continuing to have a great time of it making boats.
It's a typical water town with rivers, lakes, ports and channels running through it. As a result, wooden boats have pretty much always been the main mode for transportation, production and helping out in the daily lives of its people.
The wooden boats in Zhuhong town are mainly made of solid and tough aged fir wood, with iron nails, hemp silk, lime, tung oil thrown into the construction mix.
Every step of the process is done by hand. They've got a shallow draft, large buoyancy, a high load-bearing capacity and are lightweight, agile and durable to boot.
In 2008, Zhuhong's wooden boat making was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. That tradition has been passed down through the generations and nowadays it's an important part of the local cultural identity and is a big draw for tourists.
An artisan carefully crafts a wooden boat. [Photo by Li Guohua/WeChat ID: tztour]
A Zhuhong wooden boat goes on show at the Winter Olympic village in Beijing. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]