The 30-meter-long “Yuezhou Boat” was awarded the title of the largest gaily-painted pleasure-boat by Shanghai China Records Headquarters on November 27th. It takes two years to build the boat. It is known that the boat was designed and built by Songling Shipbuilding Co Ltd that is located in Donghu sub-district of Yuecheng district. It was launched in October this year.

The three-storey boat, 30 meters long, has two exquisitely carved lions on its bow. Go inside the boat, there is a conference room which can hold more than 120 people. Up along the stairs are a sightseeing platform with a wide view and a dining room. Besides, there is a kitchen, a lounge and a washroom in the boat.

He Guanming, chairman of Songling Shipbuilding Co Ltd said that at present, the gaily-painted pleasure-boats used in some scenic spots such as the city river, Jinghu Wetland Park and Keyan Scenic Area are about 20 meters in length, and the boat on the West Lake is 25 meters long. In addition to its large size and complete functions, the Yuezhou boat is also exquisite in materials and production techniques. The large hull is made of imported merbau. The doors, windows, eaves and columns are carved with exquisite patterns, so the whole boat is like a huge craft. Moreover, to embody the essence of Shaoxing wooden boat culture, the whole boat body adopts mortise and tenon joint structure. “Only old craftsmen master this technique,” said He Guanming, adding that the Yuezhou boat was built by more than 30 old craftsmen manually, and the 880 carved boards alone used on the boat took them more than half a year. What is worth mentioning is, there are Shaoxing elements everywhere in the boat. Dozens of precious photos of Shaoxing boat culture are hung in the boat, and even the plaques and the carving manifest Shaoxing culture. The plaque hung on the sightseeing platform on the second storey is written by Qian Xiaoliang, a famous calligrapher in Shaoxing, and carved by Wang Guorong, a senior craft artist in Shaoxing.

He Guanming is 49 years old and was born into a shipbuilding family. He has been devoted to the study and preservation of Shaoxing boat culture. He began to design and build the boat in May 2016. He said, “I hope the Yuezhou boat is not only a gaily-painted pleasure-boat, but also a moving museum of boat culture.”

It is reported that the “Yuezhou Boat” will be open to all citizens as a carrier of Shaoxing boat culture.  

[Photos above by Lin Jiaping/Shaoxing Daily]