Model ships keep history alive

Enthusiast has spent 30 years meticulously recreating vessels from different eras

HEFEI－Wearing a mask and gloves, Wu Pei, 65, carefully worked the wooden steps on the scale model of the famed Swedish warship Vasa with a file and then polished them with emery paper.

"The middle part of the steps should be made to look dented and old, like the original ship," said Wu in his workshop in Hefei, Anhui province.

In an era when ships are no longer the main mode of transportation for travelers, Wu has spent 30 years painstakingly recreating old ships from different eras and countries.

His 300-square-meter workshop is packed with handmade models of warships, fishing boats and schooners. Many of his works have been exhibited in local museums.

"Each ship has its own story and is part of history. I want to keep the history alive through these ships," the model-ship maker said.

Growing up by the Yangtze River, Wu was fascinated by the vessels that passed along the waterway. His interest grew further when hearing his father tell stories about sailing.

"I have liked handiwork since childhood. I tried to carve a small stone boat during my summer vacation," Wu recalled, thinking of his first handmade boat.

His various work experiences as a carpenter, painter and carver paved the way for making model ships. In the 1990s, Wu decided to focus on the pursuit full time after the factory he worked in was closed.

"Building model ships demands great patience and meticulousness, and it can take months and sometimes even more than a year to complete one," said Wu, adding that all the models are built from scratch, using wood and wire for the hull and canvas for the sails.