Tainan City in Taiwan wanted to build a ship named Taiwan Chenggong modeled after the antique ship used by Zheng Chenggong in recapturing Taiwan in the 17th century in order to carry forward the traditional Chinese sailboat culture. Five years has passed since the preliminary preparation and construction. In the latter half of the last year, the overall framework of the ship was completed, however the craftsman who could make sails and pulleys could not be found all over Taiwan. Therefore they came to the mainland to find the craftsman, and finally found in Zhoushan Cen s Workshop, a workshop specializing in building antique ships and 75-year-old retired worker Yan Xinchang, the only living craftsman of sails.
In April this year, Zhoushan navigation culture experts and representatives of old boatmen went to Taiwan to complete the assembling of sails of the ship and to introduce sailboat navigating experience from the mainland. On Nov. 26, Hu Mu, a navigation expert continuously keen on the construction of this ship, and Zheng Wenxing, the chief crewman from the town of Zhu Jiajian Zhoushan were invited to leave for Taiwan to train sailboat operation workers for the ship s maiden voyage.
The grand ceremony of the maiden voyage of Taiwan Chenggong was held on the morning of Dec.4.
