Picture-perfect: Antique-style boats launched on West Lake
Over a month of operation, the five new antique-style treasure boats on the West Lake have proved popular among tourists with their Song Dynasty (960-1279) aesthetics, green design and modern technology.
The largest boat was designed with phoenix elements, which were derived from ancient Song Dynasty boats that sailed the West Lake. The four smaller boats are carved with sculptures of bingdilian (并蒂莲), a treasure of flowers characterized by two lotuses on a single stalk.
Bingdilian cruises the West Lake.
Bingdilian has a luxurious interior.
The cutting-edge technologies are considered the highlight of these boats. Local companies have collaborated with Beihang University, implanting an artificial intelligence sensory perceptual system on board.
The system applies the “light field ultra-long distance ranging and target recognition technology” initiated by Beihang University. It is able to form accurate perception information from a long range with extremely low target recognition errors, which makes up for the shortages of the traditional LiDAR system and greatly boosts the security and reliability of the watercraft.
The ships also have other technology at the forefront, including 5G communications, a BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and a smart driver assistance system. The technologies cover all the main functions of monitoring and alarms, intelligent navigation, perception fusion and operation management.
“Conventional LiDAR is only able to detect obstacles within 100 meters, but now our technology can detect up to 400 meters, definitely enough on the West Lake,” said Zhang Minghui, general manager of Smart Ship Technology (Beijing) Co, the technology implementation unit of Beijing University. “All the data is uploaded to the system. Even sitting in the office, the stuff knows the situation on board instantly.”
In a bid to protect the environment, all the ships use green energy without carbon dioxide emissions. The lithium iron phosphate battery is safer than other types of batteries and allows each ship to cruise 5 to 12 hours every day, which in return increases voyage numbers.
“The long-lasting battery expands the operating capacity during holiday peaks and reduces the waiting time for tourists,” said Jin Jianmin, general manager of Hangzhou Amgen Ship, the manufacturer of the boats. “To protect the overall landscape, the charging poles are hidden in the scenic area.”
The large phoenix boat is named “Yujin (玉津),” which literally means the Milky Way in ancient China. The design was inspired by the Yuhuang Mountain where the ancient imperial city of the Southern Song Dynasty(1127-1279) was nestled. Yuhuang refers to “jade phoenix” in Chinese.
Yujin sails on the West Lake.
Yujin also has an opulent interior.
In Chinese culture, the phoenix is king of the birds with five virtues — moral integrity, righteousness, etiquette, benevolence and honesty. In modern days, it also carries the meanings of prosperity and peace.
Bingdilian is considered the epitome of auspiciousness and long-lasting blessings. The hull of the ship is designed as a blooming lotus. When sailing on the lake, another lotus is reflected on the water surface.
The interior decor of the ships shows the designer’s ingenuity. All the paintings, furniture and utensils feature classical Song Dynasty aesthetics. When ancient Hangzhou was made the capital, the prosperity of the dynasty drove the development of all industries. Its simplistic and refined aesthetics set it apart as the pinnacle of ancient art.
Since their maiden voyages in the 1950s, the West Lake boats have been upgraded five times. Local departments are expecting to develop the smart watercraft into good examples of smart tourism nationwide.
Visitors can buy tickets at Zhongshan Park Pier, 90 yuan (US$12.6) for adults and 45 yuan for children between 1.2 and 1.5 meters. The cruise around the lake takes 50 minutes.
In ancient times, people would linger on the lake in boats. Floating on the serene water was a joy for the body and mind, which was often eulogized by poets throughout China’s dynasties.
In addition to the antique-style treasure boats, tourists can rent a Hangzhou-style gondola or a rowing boat operated by a boatman at the piers. The cruise avoids the jammed traffic around the West Lake, offering tourists a much more tranquil route deep into the landscape.
