A Chinese student rowed across the Hanjiang river in China and safely reached the opposite side of the river on a paper kayak.
Wang Luyao, a third-year student of Wuhan Commercial Service College, spent seven minutes rowing across the river at the Yangheshan stretch.
He had spent 15 days to make the kayak using recycled papers and self-made flour glue.
Wang said the 1.9m x 80cm x 30cm kayak, which weighed 40kg, only cost him 200 yuan (RM92).
At 10.26am on Sunday, Wang got into the water in his paper kayak wearing a life jacket and holding an oar in his hand.
Two rescue boats followed behind him.
Wang managed to balance his kayak while fighting the rapid currents and a whirlpool to reach the other side of the river, one km downstream from where he started.
Wang said the idea of crossing the river on a paper kayak popped into his head after several rounds of discussion with water sports trainer Song Yuanqing.
“I hoped to use this chance to promote the low-carbon lifestyle and to encourage environment-friendly activities.”
Wang said he started making the boat in July, after two months of studying the theory of making kayaks.
He then went around the school to collect the components.
“I tested the boat on the school pond first,” he added.
Wang said his hopes to cross the mighty Yangtze River by the end of this year.
He added that he would modify the kayak for the crossing on the third longest river in the world.
“If I succeed, my next mission will be to cross the Taiwan Straits (which is 180km-wide between China and Taiwan) with Song.”
Source: Chutian Metro Daily, China
Published Sept 14 2010
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