China News Agency, Jiaxing, June 27th Question: The Difficulties of Inheriting Non-legacy White Ships: "60s" and "70s" are still the main force of rocking
Author Shi Zinan
Every year at the Dragon Boat Festival, Yao Qicai is particularly excited because he can board the boat again.
Yao Qicai, 64, lives in Wang'an Community, Xinxing Street, Nanhu District, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. His ancestors lived on the banks of the Southwest Lake and lived on fishing for generations. In his teens, he lived with his parents on the boat, rocking the boat, fishing, and launching.
The boat has a special affection for the old fisherman who has been in the past.
In the water towns of Jiangnan, where the river network is dense, boats used to be one of the most important means of transportation. Farmers rocking boats are all highly skilled, so festivals are mostly related to water, and white boats are one of them.
Tabai Ship, also known as the "Shake Clipper", has its origin and is said to be related to Yue Fei, a famous Southern Song Dynasty general. Song Dynasty's anti-gold minister Zong Ze appreciated Yue Fei's talents and bravery, and appointed him as a ambassador to Tabai. The ship is a common agricultural boat in Jiaxing Water Township. This kind of ship has a slightly longer hull, the bottom of the ship is curved, and the resistance to wading is very small, but the stability is poor when left and right. The ship is faster and thrilling during the performance. Each ship was modified, the stern board jumped on the board and jumped horizontally, two pipa sculls were installed on the stern, and the two groups were shaken together, and four or five or five or six rows of wooden paddles were placed on both sides of the cabin hatch. A row of paddles together.
Today, the white boat has been protected and it is included in the third batch of intangible cultural heritage in Zhejiang.
"One drum player, four sculls, six sculls, and a total of 11 people on board." Yao Qicai said, white boat is a technical job, most of the players are experienced fishermen, not everyone can do it. To control the direction and stability, the single paddle should be launched at the same time to provide power, and the drumming should control the rhythm..."
Compared with the dragon boat race, the white boat has more local characteristics, and it has not declined for centuries.
Since 2009, under the advocacy and organization of the Jiaxing City Government, the White Boat Show Competition has been inherited, innovated and developed as a sports competition event of the annual Jiaxing Dragon Boat Festival. It has been held in the city for 11 consecutive years.
This year is also the 11th year of Yao Qicai participating in the White Boat Show. As the boss of the white boat fleet on Xinxing Street, before the Dragon Boat Festival every year, he will gather the old fishermen to board the boat together and work hard under the scorching sun. For fishermen, treading a white boat has a special meaning.
"This is what the ancestors handed down. We used to make a living by rowing in the past, and we must not forget it in the future." Water is the root of Yao Qicai, who nurtured the fishermen of generations and generations; Passed down by these old fishermen.
However, in recent years, as the older fishermen grew older, Yao Qi gradually realized that the current young people seem to be more and more reluctant to do this line of business.
Because he usually loves physical exercise, Yao Peixiang, who has been a dragon boatman in the past few years and has adaptability to water projects, was selected by his uncle Yao Qicai in 2017, and the "relay" became the second generation of a boat.
Yao Peixiang, born in 1972, bluntly said that in the current team of white-boats, "post-60s" and "post-70s" are still the main force of rocking. "In the past few years, some young players have joined, but they can not withdraw for a few years. The training time is not long every year, but the intensity is so great that many young people can't suffer."
Fortunately, Yao Peixiang is that now the team is changing players, using a gradual model, "We replace a few old players every year, basically can be connected, the replacement is not very difficult. This year, the team also added new A'post-80s' is the youngest."
Yao Peixiang said that the team is also considering training a group of young players. After all, we will be old after the "70s", and some people will continue to pass on. "But now the '90s and'post-00s' haven't even boarded the ship, so this matter can't be rushed, it takes time to plan well." Yao Peixiang said. (Finish)