Gou Jian, the king of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period, once said: "Where water flows through the mountains, boats are used as carts and jigs are used as horses." The origin of boats in Shaoxing should be before the Spring and Autumn Period, during the last sea invasion in the late Pleistocene, making The Yuyue people, who thrived on the Ningshao Plain, were forced to change their working and living customs. They abandoned their farming habits in the plains and adopted a life of fishing and hunting in the mountains and seas. They learned to adapt to an environment with water. The snake totem culture is an important part of the "integration of human and water" of the Yue people. witness. During the excavation of the fourth cultural layer of the Hemudu site in Yuyao, wood pulp with carved patterns was found, which is enough to illustrate the history of the appearance of boats as a means of transportation in Shaoxing. However, in the historical records so far, the word "wupeng boat" first appeared in the Song Dynasty. When the famous patriotic poet Lu You of the Southern Song Dynasty lived in seclusion in his hometown of Shaoxing, he once described the leisure life of the local people in the countryside: "The light boat is eight feet long, and the low awning is three feet tall. Fan, occupy the misty rain in Pingzhou." This is the earliest written description of the Wupeng boat. It can be seen that the Wupeng boat has become an indispensable means of transportation in the production and life of Shaoxing people in the Southern Song Dynasty. The appearance of the awning boat coincides with the disappearance of Jianhu Lake in time. This is inseparable from the fact that after the disappearance of Jianhu Lake, the dense network of rivers and lakes in Shaoxing's urban and rural areas blocked the development of land transportation. In Shaoxing, awning boats are a means of transportation for both cargo and passengers. Their turnover convenience is better than land transportation, and they appear in large numbers in cultural, tourism, customs and other activities. Lu Xun described in his articles Shaoxing people sitting in awning boats and watching social operas are a good example.
On the one hand, the black-topped boats reflect the water environment of Shaoxing. At the same time, they are also the result of Shaoxing people's long-term dealings with water in their production and life. The form, The materials, shapes, colors, decorations, and power settings all reflect Shaoxing’s watery geographical environment and the special production and living customs of Shaoxing people. In ancient times, there were two types of boats that shuttled between urban and rural areas in Shaoxing. One was a white-covered boat, which was used for navigation and is now a cargo ship; the other was a black-covered boat, which was used to carry passengers. According to the size, the awning boats can be divided into four types, three-tile boats, and foot-rowing (pronounced uoa) boats. The awning of the black-topped boat is semicircular, made of bamboo pieces, with some bamboo mats sandwiched between the bamboo pieces to prevent rainwater from seeping down on rainy days. The bamboo pieces are coated with a layer of black oil to help rainwater slide down; The two fixed round awnings are called "fixed awnings", and there is a sliding light-transmitting awning between the fixed awnings, which is inlaid with thin oyster shells one inch square that can transmit light. When it rains, it is covered with open tiles to protect it. When it rains, the wind will be blocked, and when the weather is sunny, the open tiles will be removed for ventilation and sunlight. Therefore, the locals call this dome "Mingwa". The three-glazed tile is one with two glazed tiles in the middle cabin and one glazed tile in the rear cabin. In Shaoxing, there is a kind of big awning boat that is bigger than Simingwa. The hull is carved with patterns and patterns, and the bow is carved and painted with an animal that looks like a tiger head. The locals call it "Yi Bird", and its image is very special. Weird, smiling, and scary. This is closely related to the water environment in which the Guyue people have lived for a long time. When the sea intrusion reached its peak, most of the land in the north of Guyue became a vast ocean. When the Vietnamese people fished in the sea, they often encountered strong winds and waves, and their boats capsized and people died. ACCIDENT. It has always been the sacred yearning of the Yue people to subdue the troublesome sea dragons and ensure that fishing boats and ships sail calmly on the sea. The beneficial bird lives deep in the sea and is addicted to dragons. The dragon will avoid it, so the boat people painted it on the bow of the boat to prevent the dragon from causing trouble on the water to ensure safe sailing. Later generations have still used it to this day.
In ancient times, many wealthy officials and officials often took large awning boats (now gradually replaced by luxury motor yachts) to visit, visit tombs, welcome relatives, and watch plays; some literati also drank and drank on awning boats. Poetry has left many calligraphy treasures. The "Literati Wine Boat" described by Mr. Lu Xun, commonly known as "Shuo Fei" is Sanming Wa. Traveling by awning boat has become a major feature of Shaoxing tourism now. At present, most of the awning boats that shuttle between major scenic spots in urban and rural areas of Shaoxing are foot rowing boats. The boats are small and can be operated by one person. They are flexible and convenient, and are conducive to picking up and carrying passengers. Traveling in Shaoxing by foot rowing is currently the most fashionable form of tourism in Shaoxing. In this way, the boat travels on the canal like a flat boat, with some straw mats often placed on the bottom of the boat. After boarding the boat, tourists sit on the ground with their heads only 20 to 30 centimeters from the roof. The power of the black-topped boat to move forward comes from the oar's feet. The oar is pushed hard by the oar's feet, and the boat moves forward steadily. This is the meaning of "foot paddling". The wooden oar held under the oar's arm for paddling is the symbol of the boat. Rudder,
It can be used to control the direction of the ship. On warmer days, tourists can put their hands out of the boat and rest them on the left and right sides of the boat. Sometimes they can also gently tap the water, like a duck splashing in the water. The awning boat filled with tourists has a deep "draft", and the tourists' sight is often the same as the water outside the boat. Traveling on this kind of boat feels like sitting on calm water. When the boat is traveling in the city, The high-rise buildings and the simple "eight-character" bridge in front of you "walk" past you and above your head, as if you are playing a slow motion of the Jiangnan water town scenery. Whenever the cruise ship "walks" along the rural waterways, the field ridges on both sides are close to the eyes and nose, and you can smell the fragrance of soil and field crops from time to time, which makes people feel relaxed and happy. Shaoxing's Wupeng Boats have become famous at home and abroad. The Shaoxing Municipal Government's timely proposal to build a tourist city provides better opportunities for Wupeng Boats to reflect their tourism value. In Shaoxing, Wupeng Boats are not only a special form of transportation. Tools are also a priceless tourism industry. Shaoxing people make full use of the natural water environment to explore the cultural connotations hidden inside the awning boats and fully display Shaoxing’s unique landscape, historical background, customs, and local specialties.
A job fair for awning boat girls attracted many students from all over the country. awning boats are a tourism industry for Shaoxing people and a precious wealth for all mankind