Craftsmen repair a traditional dragon boat head in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
FUZHOU, June 16 (Xinhua) -- With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, craftsmen in Fangzhuang Village of Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province have become increasingly busy.
The village's four large dragon boat factories are working tirelessly to fulfill their orders for the upcoming festival. Each year, over 200 dragon boats are sold from here to various parts of China and overseas markets like Japan, Singapore and the United States.
Villagers transport a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
Fangzhuang has a rich history of shipbuilding dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Later generations saw the business opportunities presented by dragon boats and began designing and manufacturing traditional Fuzhou-style dragon boats themselves. During its heyday in the 1970s, there were twelve shipyards in the village with hundreds of employees.
Making a dragon boat requires several steps including making keels, nailing bottom plates, polishing surfaces and applying paint before finally attaching an exquisitely carved dragon head.
Craftsmen make a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)
Craftsmen make a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
Craftsmen make a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
A craftswoman carves a part of a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
A craftsman carries a newly-carved dragon boat head in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
A craftsman paints a dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)
"Our ancestors invented and created this technique for building dragon boats. Therefore, we have a responsibility to pass down this craft and promote it," said Fang Shaohuang, a local intangible cultural heritage inheritor.
Fang Shaohuang, a local intangible cultural heritage inheritor, checks a traditional dragon boat in Fangzhuang Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)
This aerial photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows a dragon boat being loaded onto a truck in Minhou County, Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
