Dedicated villagers continue tradition that has thrived for 700 years

As the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated nationwide, residents making the boats in Fangzhuang village, Fujian province, have been working tirelessly for more than a month to meet orders from across the country.

Dragon boats have been made in the village, which is situated in Minhou county, for over 700 years.

Fang Shaohuang, 72, proudly carries on his family's boat-making techniques as a third-generation inheritor. He and his five brothers, who own a boat-making factory, learned these skills from a young age.

"We stick to the family tradition of making these boats to a strict standard. The procedure is complicated, but our patient work results in fine products," he said.

Among the family's younger generation, only his nephew Fang Jianwei has inherited the techniques. The 34-year-old is also the youngest such inheritor in the village.

"The work is not particularly profitable, but I'm determined to find dedicated apprentices who can carry the profession forward," Fang Jianwei said.

In Fujian, a traditional dragon boat, which is 18 meters long, can accommodate 32 paddlers, a drummer, a gong player and a helmsman. There is space in the bow to set off firecrackers.

Fang Jianwei said the average price of a boat is about 30,000 yuan ($4,200), and 80 percent of their customers are from Fujian.

To ensure speed and safety, he designs the boats in accordance with the paddlers' height and weight. "If the boat is used on a river, a broad vessel with a deep hull is needed for stability in the face of currents," he said.

Employees at the factory are currently working from 5 am to 8 pm. In the slack season, they prepare fir and camphor wood for use the following year.

Although his profession is closely related to the festival, Fang Jianwei rarely has time to fully enjoy it, as he and his team are on standby in case customers need after-sales maintenance to their boats.

In addition to the traditional family business, he has tried creative ways to further promote the culture of dragon boat racing. In recent years, he has posted online short videos of the hard work involved in making the boats, and this footage has attracted customers from other provinces.

Fang Jianwei also makes delicate model dragon boats for use during tea ceremonies or as room decorations. He organizes study tours mainly for primary school students from Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, to visit the factory to learn how dragon boats are made. The students can also watch a new boat being tested in the water.

Fang Jianwei hopes that in the future the village will act as a base to showcase the evolution and history of dragon boats in China.