This Shanghai uncle's work has been collected by multiple national level exhibition halls, and he has been dedicated to making ship models for over half a century | Ship Models | Shanghai

The airtight cabin of a ship in the Soviet era, the gouache painting of a French ship in the 1920s, and the pulley of a seven masted sailboat on the the Taihu Lake Lake more than 20 years ago... Walk into a wood processing plant located in Huating Town, Jiading District, which has an unusual appearance. The exhibition hall of dozens of square meters is filled with nearly 100 ship models of large, small and exquisite workmanship. "This is just a part, at most there are hundreds of them!" These models don't have glass covers, appearing a bit outdated. There is a coating on the copper sheet, but the owner deliberately made it - "Put on the glass cover, they are separated from the visitors. I want them to be closer to me and the visitors," Tong Jianliang said.

62 year old Tong Jianliang has been obsessed with ship models since childhood and started making them at the age of 7. In the past 55 years, he has personally created a unique "Tong's Invincible Fleet", and now his works have been collected in multiple national level exhibitions.

"To make a ship model, one needs to understand the history behind it."

Handmaking a ship model is a time-consuming and labor-intensive "big project". Tong Jianliang needs to process the raw materials into a style and size that matches the ship's hull. When assembling, the slender wooden pieces should not leave any gaps, and he needs to be proficient in basic skills such as turning, milling, planing, grinding, and pliers.

Among nearly a hundred ship models, the most complex process is a lifeboat placed in the corner of the exhibition hall. "This model has no inner liner, and each layer of the bottom of the ship is manually cut and assembled one by one, with very accurate dimensions and an error controlled within 0.05 millimeters." Tong Jianliang told reporters that he has been making this lifeboat for nearly half a year, and the hull and oars are made of high-quality teak wood and boxwood. "For model enthusiasts, material costs can be negligible, but the hassle lies in craftsmanship and time consumption."

The most complex craft for making a lifeboat. Photo by Zhu Yawen

Tong Jianliang's family is not wealthy. At a young age, like boys of the same age, Tong Jianliang was often attracted by the speedboats and warships that appeared on TV. Once, he secretly saved up pocket money and walked three kilometers to the Yifeng Model Shop on Nanjing West Road, where he bought his first set of ship models - the torpedo speedboat that appeared in the TV series "Sea Eagle". His uncle is a carpenter and often makes furniture in his yard. Tong Jianliang squats on the side, staring intently at his master's work. "At the beginning of making a ship model, there were not as many high-end tools as there are now, and even the machine tools were small homemade machine tools."

Tong Jianliang is twisting the wire. Photo by Zhu Yawen

Since entering the pit at the age of 7, Tong Jianliang has been doing it for 55 years. In elementary and middle school, he participated in the school model team and immersed himself in the activity room every day to study; After working at the Shanghai Watch Factory, he started making models every day as soon as he got home from work, sometimes even in the early morning; After going to sea, he opened a factory and moved from the city center to Pudong and then to Jiading. Boat modeling has always been his hobby that he cannot give up.

Making ship models is not just a craft. In the words of Tong Jianliang, "Every time you make a ship, you need to understand the history behind it." Before making each ship model, he would read books and consult history, search for relevant ship drawings online, and even ask friends to bring drawings from abroad... While making the ship model, Tong Jianliang was also "looking at the world".

There are ship model drawings hanging on the walls of the studio. Photo by Zhu Yawen

The Yidun ship, the first commercial ship in Chinese history, was also the founding cargo ship of China Merchants Group. The "Yidun Wheel" in the China Merchants Bureau Archives is 4 meters long, and the producer is Tong Jianliang. "At that time, I couldn't find the drawings at all, so I could only refer to photos, consult information, and slowly explore on my own." To present the original appearance to the fullest extent, Tong Jianliang consulted many old captains. "They have seen more old ships than I have. For example, the ship type, I originally planned to make it curved and more modern, but they told me that the previous ship shapes were all straight."

The "Itun Wheel" collected in the China Merchants Bureau Archives. Respondents provide pictures

Having worked as a ship model for over half a century, Tong Jianliang has gained some fame in the circle, earning him the nickname "King of Western Ship Models". Famous domestic exhibition halls such as the China Maritime Museum, Tianjin Ocean Museum, and Shanghai Astronomical Observatory all threw olive branches at him. Among them, the "Fengqing Wheel", which is over two meters high, in the China Maritime Museum, was made by him with exquisite craftsmanship. The split part in the middle of the model can be used to observe the internal structure of the ship up close. The "Hailiao Wheel" and "Yidun Wheel" models made by Tong Jianliang are also collected by the museum.

The beauty of details in the "Iton Wheel". Respondents provide pictures

"It's not a matter of money"

The oldest of the "Tong's Invincible Fleet" is the British Navy flagship "Victory" made in a 1:98 ratio, which was Tong Jianliang's first Western sailboat.

"This ship became famous in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, establishing the dominant position of Britain as a maritime power," Tong Jianliang told reporters. In the 1980s, the owner of a restaurant on Zhapu Road approached him and offered to buy a model of "Victory" for 100000 yuan. "What was the concept of '100000 yuan' at that time? But I didn't think the other party really loved the model, so I ultimately refused."

The "Victory" made by Tong Jianliang. Photo by Zhu Yawen

In Tong Jianliang's view, ship models are works of art rather than commodities. The ship models he creates can withstand scrutiny in every detail, and every spool can be pulled. The effort he puts into them cannot be measured by cold numbers. A visitor once offered over a million yuan to acquire the "Tong's Invincible Fleet", but was rejected by him. The other party has raised the price multiple times in a row, but still has been turned off. "If I don't sell, it's not a matter of money."

The Bund No. 9 model in the China Merchants Bureau Archives was produced on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's voyages to the West. Respondents provide pictures

Tong Jianliang's ship model also went viral. At the 2015 Shanghai Art Expo, his installation artwork "Navigation Monument" stood 3.8 meters tall and was made of pure metal. It presented the history of human navigation from rubber rafts to modern ships, and the bottom deck was specially purchased by him from a shipyard on Changxing Island. It took a lot of effort to do it, but after the art fair ended, some enthusiasts bought this work for 300 yuan. Did it sell at a loss? Tong Jianliang disagrees. In his view, the artistic value of the work itself far exceeds its economic value. "As long as it has been witnessed by people, it is enough."

The Maritime Monument. Respondents provide pictures

"Oh, Nong brings watermelons and cigarettes to scatter for me?" "Give Nong money Nong Fa Shou!" Tong Jianliang has a group of like-minded model enthusiasts around him. In his studio, a group of "old mischievous children" gather their heads together to study how to twist, polish, and assemble. Several of them were his friends whom he had played with since childhood, and his uncles were all aware of Tong Jianliang's temperament: solid workmanship, but never accepting money.

Retired worker Lao Li is one of them. He is two years older than Tong Jianliang and drives from the city to Jiading every week to make models. "Alan has a solid foundation in modeling, and whenever I encounter problems that I cannot solve, I always ask him for advice."

"60 years old is a brand new beginning"

Tong Jianliang's craftsmanship is not limited to ship models. The satellite models and lunar rovers inside the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, as well as the miniature models of the Tianma Telescope at the Shanghai Observatory, all have the credit of Tong Jianliang. "The miniature model of the Tianma Telescope has 18000 solder joints, all made of metal, and the process is very complex."

A 65 meter radio telescope on Tianma Mountain in Songjiang, Shanghai. Information images

Tong Jianliang is making a miniature model. Respondents provide pictures

The model is currently placed inside the Shanghai Observatory. Respondents provide pictures

Shanghai girl Huang Xu is a designer at Tong Jianliang's studio and has known him for over 10 years. In 2012, when she had just graduated from university, she visited Tong Jianliang's studio and was immediately attracted by the crowded ship models in the room. Huang Xu counted carefully and found a total of 86 ships. "At that time, his dream was to gather 100 ships. Later, when I went to Europe to study industrial design and saw good drawings, I would help him buy them."

In Huang Xu's view, Tong Jianliang is a person with great personality charm. Although not from a professional background, he is talented and talented, which is also the reason why she is willing to work in Tong Jianliang's studio. "Sometimes when I encounter something I don't understand, he inspires me to break free from my original thinking and provide other solutions." Recently, Huang Xuzheng and Tong Jianliang designed a renovation plan for the "Stargazer" booth at the Macau Observatory.

Tianjin National Marine Museum, an entry-level exhibition from sail to wheel exhibition hall, created by Tong Jianliang. Respondents provide pictures

When it comes to his future plans, Tong Jianliang is very excited: "For me, 60 years old is a brand new beginning." He plans to add a new member to his "Invincible Fleet" - the model ship of the Clermont. "After this ship is completed, I will install a small steam engine on it to achieve the level of real operation! In just a few decades of life, I want to leave something behind to let future generations understand that there are so many monuments in the history of world navigation."

Tong Jianliang's work photo. Respondents provide pictures