For centuries, wooden boats have been a symbol of power and industry in Shaoxing, a city in East China's Zhejiang province known for its abundance of waterways.

According to historical data, wooden boat building in the area can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) when Hangwushan, a place north of the city, was the main venue for constructing war boats. It also served as a military base for more than 50,000 soldiers of the Yue Kingdom.

Wupeng boat, known as Chinese gondola, is one of the traditional boats in Shaoxing made out of bamboo and wood.

In 2009, the craft of traditional Wupeng boat building was listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage.

乌篷船一直以来就和绍兴水乡人民的生活密不可分，是水乡绍兴祖传下来的独特水上交通工具，因篾篷漆成黑色而得名，也正好印证了古越先民崇尚黑色的传统理念，具有浓郁的越文化特色。它是水乡绍兴的一种象征。

乌篷船的制作是一项传统手工技艺，于2009年列入第三批浙江省非物质文化遗产保护名录。

Video courtesy of Zhejiang Daily (视频由浙江日报提供)