Guangzhou Liwanhu Park

This guide to Guangzhou Liwanhu Park centers on Yucui Lake and the question of why a village buries a boat in its mud for eleven months every year. It introduces Renwei, an old dragon boat that villagers in Pantang date back to the Ming dynasty's Wanli era, around 1597, sunk into river sand to protect it from rot and theft. You'll hear about the pre-dawn ritual each spring, when drums sound and men wade chest-deep to feel for the hull with bare feet, and about the elders who lead the prayers as the boat is raised. Stand near the bank at dawn if you can, when the search for the hull begins.