A view of the rapeseed flower scenic area in Qianduo Town, Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province. (CFP Photo)
A visit to Zhuhong Town in Xinghua City will reveal a booming business in traditional wooden boat-making as the town innovatively combines its craftmanship with the needs of tourism markets.
Cui Jinfang, head of Xinghua Xingyang Ship Industry Co Ltd, said the company has delivered orders worth nearly 8 million yuan this year and still has more than 3 million yuan in orders.
A view of handmade wooden boats in Zhuhong Town, Xinghua City. The ancient boat-making techniques have been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. (CFP Photo)
Zhuhong had a history of making wooden boats for about 1,000 years, and the shipbuilding techniques have been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The town's shipbuilding sector has undergone significant changes over the years, from having nearly 100 plants to just over ten, and from a focus on the local market to the national and international markets. Currently, Zhuhong has a capacity to produce more than 6,000 wooden boats and an annual sales of more than 500 million yuan.
Zhou Yonggan, inheritor of the ancient techniques of making traditional wooden boat, works on a piece of wood in Zhuhong Town, Xinghua City. (CFP Photo)
Zhou Yonggan, inheritor of the ancient ship-making techniques, said Xinghua thrives due to its waterways and naturally relies on boats, resulting in a thriving boat industry. However, around 2000, the wooden boat market became saturated for the rapid development of highways, leading to a rapid decline in the town's boat-making sector.
The turning point came in 2005 when a Dutch company wanted to order for 170 Chinese-style wooden boats to explore the European tourism market. At that time, the town only had small family workshops and lacked experience in offering customized boats. Zhou took the initiative to meet the market need by convening more than 20 people to complete the orders in one and a half years.
This overseas order not only reversed the decline of a time-honored trade but also drove local government and craftsman to adapt to the market changes as wooden boats gradually lose their transportation values.
Children from an elementary school in Zhuhong Town, Xinghua City learn about ancient techniques of making Zhuhong Traditional Wooden Boat. (CFP Photo)
Xingya Wooden Boat Co Ltd is now known for building traditional Chinese pleasure boats, European-style wooden boats, and other types of boats for sightseeing or artistic purposes.
Li Yuyun, director of Xingya Wooden Boat, said the company's miniature commercial boat was among over 100 intangible cultural heritage items selected nationwide and displayed at the Winter Olympic Village for Beijing 2022. Li called the exhibition a great opportunity to showcase the traditional skills and cultural heritage associated with Zhuhong-style wooden boats to the world.
Along with the strong recovery of the tourism industry this year, the town's wooden boat industry has experienced a fast growth, and the boats have been exported to the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand and other countries.
Zhuhong is now striving to adopt recyclable energy in the boat-making sector. The town's head Wang Yongming said efforts will be made this year to promote electric boats and develop new Chinese-style yachts.
