Feng Peichao
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Feng Peichao, Male, Han, from Dongguan, Guangdong, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Longzhou Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-139). The tradition is documented in Dongguan, Guangdong. Within the regional tradition and school record of Longzhou Making Craftsmanship in Dongguan, Guangdong: The dragon-boat workshops of Zhongtang Town, Dongguan, cluster along the waterways; shipbuilding and dragon-boat making were originally one and the same craft. Feng Huainü began in 1950 with wooden boats and farm skiffs, learning the trade under her father Feng Tao and the masters at the Zhongtang Shipyard, and has made more than three hundred boats, in sizes including the large-head dragon boat, the standard dragon boat, the small dragon skiff, and the phoenix skiff made especially for women. To make a boat, one first selects a straight, large fir tree as the keel timber, nails out the butterfly bottom, then bends the keel into a streamlined shape, after which one levels to set the centerline, fits the washboards, makes the seating boards, and fits the dragon's intestines. In the late Qing, the material was imported wood and construction took three months; in the Republic of China era it switched to pine, taking one month; and in the last ten-plus years it has returned to fir, launching in six or seven days. The Qing dynasty forms the first stage. Dragon boats of this period were made mainly of imported timber—sturdy and durable, but heavy in the hull and generating great resistance in the water, with construction taking about three months. The second stage covers nearly a century from the Republic of China era to the end of the twentieth century, when pine was the principal material. The hull grew lighter, the boat's speed increased, and construction time fell to about one month.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Feng Peichao is anchored in the documented technical standards of Longzhou Making Craftsmanship in Dongguan, Guangdong. Within the documented technical tradition of Longzhou Making Craftsmanship in Dongguan, Guangdong: Zhongtang Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, is known as the home of the dragon boat, where dragon-boat making has a history of over a hundred years. The craft process of Zhongtang dragon boats is fairly complex, comprising such important steps as selecting the keel timber (the keel—chiefly a straight, large fir tree chosen as the base spine), laying the bottom (nailing the butterfly bottom), raising the waterline (bending the keel into a streamlined shape), leveling (establishing the centerline to balance the butterfly bottom), turning the water (installing the washboards), building the sides, making the transverse ribs (the 'rib bones'), making the seating boards (the rowers' seats), fitting the dragon's intestines, reinforcing the central intestine (using bamboo strips to strengthen the seats and the dragon's intestines), applying tung-oil putty (reinforcing the gaps between boards to prevent leakage), planing smooth, applying clear lacquer (to make the boat smooth), making and installing the dragon head, and fitting the stern rudder. The material selection in Zhongtang dragon-boat making has passed through three historical stages of development. The third stage, over the last ten-plus years, has seen the dragon boats switch to fir as the material—light in weight, with a shallow draft once built and a fast speed, and a construction time of six to seven days. In the past, all data such as the dimensions of the materials were left entirely to the master craftsmen's experience and memory, with nothing recorded in writing. Dragon-boat racing is a traditional folk custom of China's Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival, so the dragon-boat making craft possesses not only craft value but also deep cultural and folk-custom significance. With the rapid social and economic development of Guangdong, traditional rural life is gradually fading from people's view, and activities such as dragon-boat races are no longer held as often. Added to this, the dragon-boat making craft is complex, and the number of people engaged in the related trades is dwindling; the craft stands on the verge of being lost and urgently needs protection. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Process Record": The craft process of Zhongtang dragon boats is fairly complex, comprising such important steps as selecting the keel timber (the keel—chiefly a straight, large fir tree chosen as the base spine), laying the bottom (nailing the butterfly bottom), raising the waterline (bending the keel into a streamlined shape), leveling (establishing the centerline to balance the butterfly bottom), turning the water (installing the washboards), building the sides, making the transverse ribs (the 'rib bones'), making the seating boards (the rowers' seats), fitting the dragon's intestines, reinforcing the central intestine (using bamboo strips to strengthen the seats and the dragon's intestines), applying tung-oil putty (reinforcing the gaps between boards to prevent leakage), planing smooth, applying clear lacquer (to make the boat smooth), making and installing the dragon head, and fitting the stern rudder.
Archival Process Record
The craft process of Zhongtang dragon boats is fairly complex, comprising such important steps as selecting the keel timber (the keel—chiefly a straight, large fir tree chosen as the base spine), laying the bottom (nailing the butterfly bottom), raising the waterline (bending the keel into a streamlined shape), leveling (establishing the centerline to balance the butterfly bottom), turning the water (installing the washboards), building the sides, making the transverse ribs (the 'rib bones'), making the seating boards (the rowers' seats), fitting the dragon's intestines, reinforcing the central intestine (using bamboo strips to strengthen the seats and the dragon's intestines), applying tung-oil putty (reinforcing the gaps between boards to prevent leakage), planing smooth, applying clear lacquer (to make the boat smooth), making and installing the dragon head, and fitting the stern rudder.
Core Technique I
Zhongtang Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, is known as the home of the dragon boat, where dragon-boat making has a history of over a hundred years.
Core Technique II
The craft process of Zhongtang dragon boats is fairly complex, comprising such important steps as selecting the keel timber (the keel—chiefly a straight, large fir tree chosen as the base spine), laying the bottom (nailing the butterfly bottom), raising the waterline (bending the keel into a streamlined shape), leveling (establishing the centerline to balance the butterfly bottom), turning the water (installing the washboards), building the sides, making the transverse ribs (the 'rib bones'), making the seating boards (the rowers' seats), fitting the dragon's intestines, reinforcing the central intestine (using bamboo strips to strengthen the seats and the dragon's intestines), applying tung-oil putty (reinforcing the gaps between boards to prevent leakage), planing smooth, applying clear lacquer (to make the boat smooth), making and installing the dragon head, and fitting the stern rudder.
Core Technique III
The material selection in Zhongtang dragon-boat making has passed through three historical stages of development.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Feng Peichao was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Longzhou Making Craftsmanship, with Dongguan, Guangdong as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Longzhou Making Craftsmanship in Dongguan, Guangdong: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Dongguan, Guangdong as its declared area, and Dongguan Zhongtang Town Culture Service Center (Dongguan Zhongtang Town Sports Management Service Center) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The Qing dynasty forms the first stage. Dragon boats of this period were made mainly of imported timber—sturdy and durable, but heavy in the hull and generating great resistance in the water, with construction taking about three months. The second stage covers nearly a century from the Republic of China era to the end of the twentieth century, when pine was the principal material. The hull grew lighter, the boat's speed increased, and construction time fell to about one month.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenghuainv | Dongguan, Guangdong | 03-1404 | Same declared area |
| Feng Peichao | Dongguan, Guangdong | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。