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Life's dream for a dragon boat
By Li Huacheng and Xu Wei |
June 28, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
JIADING native Huang Yuelong, 81, has been building his traditional dragon boat "Yellow Dragon" since March 17. So far, he has completed more than half of the project while the frame of another boat "Green Dragon" is already finished.
The traditional dragon boats, including East Gate Green Dragon, South Gate White Dragon, West Gate Yellow Dragon, North Gate Black Dragon and Zhouqiao Hundred Sons Dragon, conjure nice memories for the locals but have been fading out of the sight over the years. Huang's aim is to revive the dragon boat with Jiading features.
"It is not only my personal interest, but also a responsibility to preserve our cultural heritage," Huang says.
Born into a shipbuilding family, Huang's father and grandfather were both boat builders.
Even today, Huang can still remember the shipbuilding tips from them such as "the body shape of a dragon boat is of most importance."
It should look like a soup ladle when it is standing upright and a frog when it is upside down.
In 1947, the then 18-year-old Huang started to learn shipbuilding at his father's shipyard.
He used to make wooden fishing vessels at the Jiading's Old West Gate (close to Xidajie Street in Jiading).
The most exciting thing for Huang to do at that time was the hull restoration. After the renovation, all the dragon boats would take on a brand new look before the Dragon Boat Festival and gather at the Huilong Pond.
The dragon boats, some renovated by him, would set off from the pond and tour around the waters of Jiading District.
Huang's childhood dream was to send a boat manufactured with his own hands to this magnificent parade. Now his dream will come true 64 years later. The "Yellow Dragon" is going to be put in the water.
Devoted designer
As the adage goes, "where there is a will, there is a way," and Huang is approaching his dream over the past decades from being a boat builder to a boat designer.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Huang left his father's shipyard.
In 1956, he entered Huangdu Shipbuilding Workshop and acquired a lot of practical experience in making of agricultural vessels.
He noticed that it was important to provide original designs and layouts for the boat construction. It took him about 10 years to learn boat designing from the engineers, which got him closer to his dream.
In 1987, Huang started to draw the outline sketch of traditional dragon boats. He was nearly 60 years old at that time.
It took him two years to gather information from old folk artists about the history and appearance of dragon boats.
His efforts paid off as he found the former custodian of the original "Yellow Dragon."
"The new 'Yellow Dragon' I am building now is based on the structure of the original one, which even had a large stage for people of that time to celebrate China's liberation," Huang says.
In addition to the design and structure, Huang continues to apply the complicated ancient Chinese shipbuilding crafts to the new "Yellow Dragon," from its material selection, component cutting, bonding and welding to molding.
Each time the reporter visits Huang, he displays a sketch of the "Front View of a Dragon Boat Assembly," which he drew in 1989.
Today, the blue paper has turned into yellow and sticker traces can be found everywhere. Huang has kept not only a sketch but also his lifelong dream.
Huang was invited many times by businessmen from other provinces to make dragon boats, but he declined.
"The dragon boat is a unique regional culture of Jiading, how could I sell it to others?" says the senior resident.
On his desk, there is also a completed dragon boat model.
"Making big boats is intended to offer our young generation a chance to see the traditional dragon boats which used to flourish here in Jiading," Huang adds.
"Yet the small boat models are my gifts for the offspring."
Now his biggest wish is to make all the five dragon boats as a series and, with the striking drums and gongs, to recreate the festive ambience of the dragon boat parade from those bygone years.
The traditional dragon boats, including East Gate Green Dragon, South Gate White Dragon, West Gate Yellow Dragon, North Gate Black Dragon and Zhouqiao Hundred Sons Dragon, conjure nice memories for the locals but have been fading out of the sight over the years. Huang's aim is to revive the dragon boat with Jiading features.
"It is not only my personal interest, but also a responsibility to preserve our cultural heritage," Huang says.
Born into a shipbuilding family, Huang's father and grandfather were both boat builders.
Even today, Huang can still remember the shipbuilding tips from them such as "the body shape of a dragon boat is of most importance."
It should look like a soup ladle when it is standing upright and a frog when it is upside down.
In 1947, the then 18-year-old Huang started to learn shipbuilding at his father's shipyard.
He used to make wooden fishing vessels at the Jiading's Old West Gate (close to Xidajie Street in Jiading).
The most exciting thing for Huang to do at that time was the hull restoration. After the renovation, all the dragon boats would take on a brand new look before the Dragon Boat Festival and gather at the Huilong Pond.
The dragon boats, some renovated by him, would set off from the pond and tour around the waters of Jiading District.
Huang's childhood dream was to send a boat manufactured with his own hands to this magnificent parade. Now his dream will come true 64 years later. The "Yellow Dragon" is going to be put in the water.
Devoted designer
As the adage goes, "where there is a will, there is a way," and Huang is approaching his dream over the past decades from being a boat builder to a boat designer.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Huang left his father's shipyard.
In 1956, he entered Huangdu Shipbuilding Workshop and acquired a lot of practical experience in making of agricultural vessels.
He noticed that it was important to provide original designs and layouts for the boat construction. It took him about 10 years to learn boat designing from the engineers, which got him closer to his dream.
In 1987, Huang started to draw the outline sketch of traditional dragon boats. He was nearly 60 years old at that time.
It took him two years to gather information from old folk artists about the history and appearance of dragon boats.
His efforts paid off as he found the former custodian of the original "Yellow Dragon."
"The new 'Yellow Dragon' I am building now is based on the structure of the original one, which even had a large stage for people of that time to celebrate China's liberation," Huang says.
In addition to the design and structure, Huang continues to apply the complicated ancient Chinese shipbuilding crafts to the new "Yellow Dragon," from its material selection, component cutting, bonding and welding to molding.
Each time the reporter visits Huang, he displays a sketch of the "Front View of a Dragon Boat Assembly," which he drew in 1989.
Today, the blue paper has turned into yellow and sticker traces can be found everywhere. Huang has kept not only a sketch but also his lifelong dream.
Huang was invited many times by businessmen from other provinces to make dragon boats, but he declined.
"The dragon boat is a unique regional culture of Jiading, how could I sell it to others?" says the senior resident.
On his desk, there is also a completed dragon boat model.
"Making big boats is intended to offer our young generation a chance to see the traditional dragon boats which used to flourish here in Jiading," Huang adds.
"Yet the small boat models are my gifts for the offspring."
Now his biggest wish is to make all the five dragon boats as a series and, with the striking drums and gongs, to recreate the festive ambience of the dragon boat parade from those bygone years.
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