Example essay: Crow's Nest Boat---- flowing life in the water town
Crow's Nest Boat is a unique means of transportation in the water town of Shaoxing, which got its name from the fact that its canopy is painted black.800 years ago, Mr. Lu You said that it was a "light boat of eight feet, with a low canopy of three fans". The crow's nest boat is narrow, and the bottom of the boat is covered with wooden boards, so that even if there is leakage, the cabin will not get wet. The planks are covered with straw mats, or sitting or lying down, can be casual, but can not stand upright, because the canopy is low, such as upright, there will be a loss of balance and the risk of capsizing.
The power of the crow's nest boat is to rely on the foot halter oars. Rowers sitting in the back of the tip, a hand holding the oar clamped in the armpit, two feet on the end of the oar handle, two legs a stretch a contraction, the oar will be on the water to propel the speed up to more than 10 kilometers per hour. The boat's course is controlled by hand oars, the boat travels, boatmen feet and hands. Sometimes the boatman will be used as a rudder with the hand paddle clamped under the armpits, the hands free, can be in a light boat fast fast line to hold a bowl of wine to taste, the head so that the felt hat covered.
In fact, the Shaoxing Wuwen Boat, not only this foot rowing boat, there is also a small boat size of the Wuwen Boat, the boat body carved with patterns, patterns, carved on the bow of the tiger image of the animal (a water bird), they seem to be smiling, quite funny. Folklore: the dragon meets to avoid it, boating can be safe. This crow's nest boat body is relatively tall, high canopy can accommodate people upright, cabin width can be placed tables and chairs for tourists to play cards, drinking and banquets, faster speed. A Q in the depiction of the master from the city loaded with the family fortune to the unchuang Zhao House refuge with the boat, is this kind of boat. There is one kind of this kind of big boat called "Ming tile boat". One of the three Ming tile is in the boat between the two fixed canopy to install a semi-circular awning, three canopies on the wooden lattice, embedded with a piece of one-inch-square algae oyster shells, both rain, but also translucent, which is called Ming tile. Lu Xun as a child is to sit in this kind of "three tile windows of the big boat" to Dongguan to see the rampant. Lu Xun also mentioned the "literati wine boat", the wine boat commonly known as "shuttle fly", there are two "stone plinth" on the bow, used to pressure the boat, so as not to affect the speed of the boat when the bow upward. Bamboo chairs and benches can be placed in the boat, passengers can sit or lie down. These big boat from the past is mostly a small number of officials, rich merchants as guests, tours, tomb, welcome relatives, theater with, more or less a little competition for the taste of luxury and wealth.
Mr. Zhou Zuoren described very carefully: the canopy is semi-circular, woven with bamboo, central bamboo Ruo, coated with black oil; in the two "fixed tent" between a sunshade, also semi-circular, wood lattice, embedded in a piece of a small fish scales, diameter of about an inch, quite a bit of transparent, slightly glass-like and durable, which is known as the bright tile.
Shaoxing is the water town of Jiangnan, the water town is naturally the world of the boat, the boat or line or berth, line is brisk, berth is leisurely; or alone or group, the only one is the only standard high style, the group is a vast and majestic. Crow boat is the spirit of the water town, but also the scenery of the water town.
Materials:
The Shaoxing crow's nest boat is not just a foot-rowed boat. In the past, Shaoxing's wuwenboats were boats that used to be sculled, such as "shofei" and "sanmingwa". These boats are very delicate construction, in the bow, carved like a tiger image of animal "prow", its demeanor seems to be smiling, and some horrible. Folklore, the ancient Yue is a country of ze, in the pond before the gate was built, the river straight to the sea, "pigeon" living in the sea, the nature of the dragon, the dragon to see and avoid, so the boat people carved its image on the bow, so that the dragon does not dare to haunt, boating can be safe; bow on both sides, there are two carved lions on the stone piers, the most sophisticated also made of white copper. Front cabin down the boat to walk a few escalators, each side of a shelf, can put things. Here on the board, can be built into a theater; in the front cabin and between the cabin, there is a small screen door with calligraphy and painting, written with "cold rain even the river night into the Wu", "the moon sets the crow crows cry frost full day" a kind of poetry, painted with plum, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums and so on the pattern; by the cabin on both sides there are "Ten Scenic Windows", books or pastries; rear cabin with sleeping berths and stoves. This crow's nest boat hull is taller, the canopy high enough to accommodate people upright, the cabin can be placed on tables and chairs for tourists to play cards, drinking and banquets. At least two sculls are provided at the stern of the boat, and the speed is faster. The so-called "Sanming tile" of the boat, that is, in the cabin between the two canopies and installed a semi-circular awning, three canopies on the wooden lattice, embedded with a piece of one-inch-square thin oyster shells, both rain, but also through the light. General "three Ming tile" are three pods, the cabin has three fixed canopy. Fixed canopy between the two tiles of the boat is called "shuttle fly". "Shuttle fly" than "Sanming tile" small, faster boat speed, so it got its name. Exquisite "shuttle fly" front cabin with cabinets and stoves, with tea, wine and food writing, in the cabin furnishings elegant, paintings and antiques, everything. Shaoxing water town scenery is fascinating, in the old days some literati on the boat or dance calligraphy and ink, or line order guessing, eye, mouth for one of the blessings. These large crow boat for officials, rich merchants as guests, sightseeing, tomb sweeping, welcoming relatives, theater use, has long been extinct. Nowadays, Shaoxing can see the black-top boat, only the kind of passenger black-top foot rowing boat. To Shaoxing tourists from China and abroad, in order to enjoy the water town scenery, like to take the foot rowing crow boat. Hire a boat, open the canopy, you can sit or lie down, listen to the gurgling water and "creak creak" halter sound, eye view of both sides of the landscape, the countryside, there is a "yin road line, such as swimming in the mirror" feeling. If you travel with a partner, this small boat can take 6-8 people, whether it is with the waves in the river and lake, or Yimu through the bridge between the alleys, all people feel the fun. If you go to visit Lu Xun's grandmother's home An Qiaotou, the water town of Keqiao, the ancient chic eight bridges, or to the famous East Lake to enjoy the spring, take the crow's feet rowing boat is the most ideal means of transportation.
The crow's foot rowing boat is a small boat with a narrow hull, a low canopy and a light body. The helmsman sits at the back of the boat wearing a felt hat and rows the boat with his feet flexing and stretching. Passengers sit in the cabin seat, comfortable and smooth. Along the way, you can also enjoy the idyllic scenery on both sides of the river, another side of the mood. As a special means of transportation in the water town - Wuwen Boat, its structure is also more elaborate. Boat edge is usually higher, the cabin has a layer of red lacquer boat board, on the mat, but also with bamboo refined pillows. A full set of canopy, generally eight, four of which are fixed, four can be opened and closed to move. Canopy with bamboo scotch woven, arch-shaped, the center of the bamboo Ruo, both sun, but also block the rain, firm and durable. In the second, four activities of the canopy removed, on both sides of the "cabin along the board" buckle in the fixed canopy on the formation of the boat window hanging white curtains, black and white, more elegant. Because the canopy is painted black with anthracite and tung oil, the crow's nest boat is named after it. When the boat travels, the boatman sits in the stern, his left arm under the armpit holding a rowing pulp, splitting the water as a rudder, back leaning against a vertical board, two feet a bend and a stretch to step on the "whirling pulp". Because of the feet and hands, the boat is light and stable, traveling faster. Interestingly, the boatman is also in the very narrow boat along the edge, put a dish of beans and other drinking dishes, the right hand holding a small wine pot, sip a mouthful of "rice wine", chewing a grain of beans, leisurely, labor and leisure, I am afraid that this is also unique to Shaoxing style it.