A collection of crafters with an average age of 75 years in Zigui county of Yichang, Hubei province, are busy hand-making 32-seat wooden dragon boats for an upcoming race. The traditional hand-making technique is a city-level intangible cultural heritage.

Zheng Xianglong, an inheritor, said crafting a traditional wooden dragon boat involves more than 10 steps, including selecting the material, lofting, carving the dragon head, caulking, polishing, and painting scales.

"Only high-quality fir with a long growth cycle and moderate density can be used, which ensures the dragon boat is buoyant and resistant to corrosion," he said. "Zigui dragon boats have a distinct, imposing design: a horse-like face, deer antlers, and a serpentine body. Every curve and contour is meticulously carved by crafters with axes and chisels, a process that can't be replaced by machines."

They started working in March and will finish before Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 19 this year.

Zigui is the hometown of Qu Yuan, a renowned poet from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), whom the festival commemorates. Its dragon boat culture has a history of more than 2,000 years.

"Building these wooden dragon boats is not just for competitions, but also to trace the roots of dragon boat culture and upgrade its brand," said Gao Lingyun, a staff member at Zigui's culture and tourism bureau. "The process also keeps this intangible cultural heritage alive in modern times."

Twelve townships across the county each craft one boat, giving the boats individual traits. Though they share a unified hull design, their features are unique.

After the race, these dragon boats will be placed in scenic spots, such as the Hometown of Qu Yuan and the Three Gorges Bamboo Sea, as regular cultural displays for tourists. Visitors will be able to take part in dragon boat activities instead of just watching from the shore, according to local authorities.