The vessels raced on the Keelung River at the weekend, in events building up to today's big racing day.
"Half of the dragon boats used in Taiwan were made by me," said Liu proudly, adding that the largest one could carry 32 oarsmen.
It takes about one month to put together a dragon boat, from sawing the wood into the right shape and size to assembling and painting the boat in the likeness of a dragon.
Liu has pursued his craft alone as none of his four children were interested in following in his footsteps, and few young people seem interested in the traditional craft.
"I work for two to three months before the Dragon Boat Festival but for the rest of the year I usually have nothing to do. Young people like my son's generation don't want a job with such an unsteady income and uncertain future."
Still, there is a ray of hope that Liu's skills can finally be passed on as he has recently taken on an apprentice, a man in his forties who runs a car repair factory.
"My husband has chosen a hard job and there are fewer and fewer boats to make these days but this is his passion and what he wants to do," said Liu's wife Yang Yueh-li. Liu's persistence was recognized by the Taipei City Government, which in 2003 awarded him its "distinguished citizen" honor for his "commitment to the traditional craft of dragon boat making".
The final day of the 2007 Taipei City International Dragon Boat Championship (2007台北國際龍舟錦標賽), which began Sunday, will take place on the section of the Keelung River adjacent to the Dajia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園).
RSS